Beautiful Chaos

Another Pinterest Inspired Project!

2011-12-29T23:36:00.004-06:00

Lately, I have been addicted to making stuff out of things I already have and leftovers from other projects. I think it's a great way to clean out things I can before the New Year begins! With that in mind I made a pair of adorable little leggings for Aubree the other day after seeing these pants on Pinterest awhile back:

Source: makeit-loveit.com via Dori on Pinterest

While they follow pretty much the same "pattern" as most other tutorials to make baby pants/leggings, I liked the cute reverse applique, as it was one of those simple things that I probably never would have thought of on my own!

I have a TON of old t-shirts since my sister and I recently cleaned out our closets and anything that was stretched out or stained or not worthy of donation has made its way into my stash. One of those was a shirt my sister had probably held onto since middle school. I don't have any "before" pictures, and I am horrible at taking progress pictures. (I get in the zone and forget!) Here is my version before I put the waistband on:

And here is my chunky monkey trying them on for the first time:

I decided not to add any ruffles or "flair" to the bottom, as I think the print itself is busy enough. I just used the bottom of the t-shirt to be the bottom hem and it worked out wonderfully I think.

I apologize for the "deer in the headlights" look and the blurriness of the photo. Still need a digital camera, but my iPhone will have to do for now. Aubree is at that stage where I can't get her to sit still for a picture unless she can see herself on the screen-- and that usually results in funny faces anyway ;) The pants do seem to ride up a bit on the inseam, so next time I will have to remember to add a bit extra, but overall I am quite pleased as this was my first time attempting pants! (I did make a pair of boxer shorts for my mom in high school but that.... is another story!

Crocheting (like I need another hobby!!)

2011-12-28T22:42:00.006-06:00

So a couple weeks ago, when school was at it's most burdensome (and my stress--not coincidentally-- high as well), I was experiencing my usual restless anxiety. That typically means that I haven't had any "me" time for expression. It is nearly impossible to sew or quilt with my little ones awake, and when they're asleep that's homework time. I decided I needed something I could do while they were awake, and so I dug out some yarn I had been hoarding to send to my knitter sister. I decided to reteach myself to crochet. I learned when I was a preteen, but never really learned how to do anything other than potholders!
With the help of an incredible youtube video database (by far the best crochet tutes I could find... Clear, explanatory, and slow), I first made a scarf for Aubree (No pictures). Then I decided I was going to try an easy throw. Well, I keep coming back to that one, and it isn't done, so no pictures there either. I then realized that since everyone makes crochet flowers, I bet some crochet snowflakes would look pretty amazing on my tree. On to Ravelry I went, and I regret that I don't remember exactly which patterns I used, but I did a couple then experimented and made a few on my own:
One day, while pinning on Pinterest, I came across this picture of a really cool basket made out of crocheted nylon rope:

via pinterest

I pinned it and decided I was going to make it someday. Well someday became today, and although I couple of times I backtracked and started over close to the beginning (I happen to be a bit of a perfectionist!), but here is my version:
I used cotton, and it is a bit thinner than her rope, I think, but I still love this basket! I think a basket like this, but with longer handles, would make a great "holder" for a hanging plant, don't you?

I-Spy Quilts

2011-12-20T22:38:00.004-06:00

Over a year ago, I decided I wanted to make an I-Spy quilt for Cullen. Earlier this year, I participated in a swap for I-Spy quilt squares, which left me with 200 different squares! How awesome!
As I started sketching out ways to arrange them (with sashing or without? 9 patches based on background color?), I realized that I had enough to make TWO! So I began separating the definite boy squares and girl squares, then divided the gender neutral ones. Borders and appliqued names later, here are the finished quilt tops:
I have Aubree's quilted, straight lines on either side of the seams of the squares, but I still need to do the borders. I hope to get Cullen's basted and started on the quilting tonight. I somehow lost the FMQ foot for my machine, so I need to order another one, since I planned on doing FMQ on the borders. Unless any of you have other suggestions? I thought about just doing diagonal lines evenly spaced, but I don't really want to quilt THROUGH the names :-/

Still Alive!

2011-11-29T18:51:00.005-06:00

I am definitely still here, and I am going to try to get back into blogging on a regular basis. I got extremely overwhelmed this summer and fall with school, the kids, work, and trying to keep up with the swaps I had signed up for before everything hit the fan! I also want to completely redo the look of the blog, but with my lack of know-how, time, and talent, it may be awhile.

I am still sewing and quilting, of course, with some great stuff to show coming soon, including I-Spy quilts for each of my kiddos.

And I can't believe how big they are getting! I came to the realization the other day that I no longer have babies anymore. Cullen is now 3, talking up a storm, counting to sixty by himself, and to ten in Chinese and Spanish, as well as many other words in Spanish. Aubree is walking, learning her body parts, and starting to talk. I want them to stay this size forever!

Stay tuned, though, I will have more coming!

Some more bee/swap blocks!

2011-06-25T23:22:00.003-05:00

I didn't make it to the post office in time to mail these out today (I was SIX minutes late, can you believe that?!) but this first picture is of the two blocks I made for Glen in the 15 Minutes Play Scrap Bee for June

And this is my block for Linda, my June partner in the Block Swap Adventure

I hope the recipients like the blocks I made them! Now, if I can get little man to go back to sleep I can get some more stuff done tonight! :D

Some swap updates :)

2011-06-22T00:08:00.008-05:00

First, as I stated the other day, May was my month for the Let's Bee Together Bee... I was a little late getting my fabric out, so the blocks are still coming in. I am THRILLED at what I have received so far!

These are from (top L-R then bottom L-R) Charlene, Linda, Toni, Jadie, Erin, and Debra. Aren't they fantastic together?

I guess that means I need to decide what I am going to do for "my" block. I have already decided I will probably sash the blocks in a dark brown, and add a piano keys border with all the scraps I have gotten back. How does that sound?

Also, I have still been participating in the Inchy Hexagon Flower swap. These are the hexies I have received so far. I apologize that I don't have a list, some people didn't sign them and I didn't keep the envelopes (which I wish I had noticed they weren't signed so I could have written on the back of them :/ ) I still haven't decided what I want to do with them, but I think maybe a few throw pillows would be nice when I finally get my own place again!!

I do have some more stuff to share, but I will save some for Thursday! In the meantime, it has been awhile so I will share these two of the (not) babies!Aubree is now 9 months old, and walking short distances. She says "mama" "dada" and "cullen" (no, really, if she can't see or hear him, she stands up, looks around, and says "cuh-en! cuh! cuh-en!") She is such a happy and cuddly baby--way different than the colicky baby she was for the first two months!
And my handsome little man, Cullen, is now almost 3! He amazes me everyday with how much he learns. Oh what I wouldn't give to be 2 again, and amazed at everything I see! Everytime we go outside, he says "Look mom! A tree!" and when we get to my car he says "Jorie's car!" (Yes, we still haven't gotten over him using my first name). He can almost count to 20 (he does it perfect with help... on his own he gets to 13, and then says 12..13...12...13...12...13... TWENTY!!! hahaha), knows all his upper and lower case letters, and is learning how to write them and what sounds they make. Thanks to "Super Why", one of the only tv shows he gets to watch, he also can read/recognize quite a few short words. I am sure all moms do this, especially at this age, but I ask myself every day how I got so lucky to have such great babies. Cullen is (usually) such a great big brother, and while he is super rambunctious and likes to play fight, if he gets rough, he will stop and say "booboo!" and give me a kiss, a hug, and ask if its all better hahah! He barely sits still, and when he does, I usually get pictures like this:

Hehe! Hope everyone has a great week! I must get off and finish my homework, tomorrow is my long day (school AND work), so from 1130am when I leave to drop the kids off, until 3am Thurs morn I am out and about :( Boo!!

♥ Jorie

Over two months!

2011-06-19T01:32:00.006-05:00

Wow, have I been a slacker or what? Well, at least in my virtual and sewing life I sure have! I do have an excuse though-- several valid ones, but I understand they're still just excuses ;) I am finally caught up in all of my swaps though (I apologize to everyone who received stuff late from me these last couple of months!)

After spending two and a half months without my babies, I picked them up from their daddy in May, and then started school less than two weeks later... So between school four days a week, working a couple nights a week, the video card on my laptop being out, spotty wireless internet for the desktop, and the kiddos, it's been hard to find time to sleep, let alone give my sewing machine any exercise or post on the blog! I think we have finally settled into a routine, and I have gotten quite a bit of sewing done this week. There are a few pictures I can't post (at least not until the recipients get them!), but there are a few I can!

These are blocks I finished up tonight, for the 15 Minutes Play Scrap Bee (May's blocks *sigh*). Sara wanted island and lake blocks. It was such a unique and fun idea!! I never would have thought of a block/quilt like this. (June's blocks are just as different!)

It certainly has my head reeling with new ideas for when it's my turn :)

And these are my April blocks for Kate in the Let's Bee Together Bee...

I made the slanted diamonds one first, then realized I had missed where she asked for pinwheel blocks. I sent them both to her, hopefully she can use the diamonds on the back, or for something else entirely maybe!

Speaking of my turn and LBT, I have also received a few blocks from the Let's Bee Together Bee, as May was my month... I need to take an updated picture of the blocks I have received so far, so I will share that tomorrow. For now, though, it is time to head to bed-- my kids like to wake up with the sun! Glad to be back though :)

♥ Jorie

DQS10 and a few blocks

2011-04-06T15:10:00.003-05:00

Although I haven't been posting much, I HAVE been sewing like a mad woman lately! Unfortunately, I keep getting creative bursts late at night, which means I waste most of the day in bed :/

Awhile ago I ordered these fabrics with DQS10 in mind. My partner seems to like bright and warm colors, modern prints, and I just so happen to love Joel Dewberry so what better excuse could I ever find to order some up? Then after browsing through my partner's photostream and blog, I wanted to make something that would fit alongside those choices, but not be too similar. This is the idea I came up with-- you can see how precise I am in my sketches hehe:

And I posted a picture on flickr when I finished all the blocks a couple nights ago:

I am still elated at how many people liked and "favorited" the picture! I saw something very similar once a long long time ago, before I was a quilter myself, so all I had was a picture in my head. I am not sure if this is how that quilt was pieced or not, but it worked for me and I am still proud of myself that when I sewed all the blocks together, everything matched up, I didn't even have to trim the whole thing-- That's a first for me! I guess we really are our own toughest critics, eh!

Now all the blocks are sewn together and I am having trouble choosing how to quilt it. I am thinking maybe just "outline" the edges? I bought a pretty multi-red thread (sorry but the actual word for it is escaping me all of a sudden) with the idea to use that on the white parts, but maybe I should just stick with white thread? I am running out of time! Any one else have any other ideas?

On another note, I did receive these two very cool blocks from Charlene, my partner for March in the Block Swap Adventure:

I am loving this swap so much! I can't wait until I can put them all together, I think this quilt is going to look fantastic! Thanks again Charlene!

A little progress

2011-03-20T21:16:00.002-05:00

Last night I finished my part on Hollie's quilt top. Tomorrow I am sending it on its way to Julie and working up my idea for Terrie's! Here is the sneak peek of Hollie's:

I hope she likes it!

I also made this hexie flower, for Maria in the Inchy Flower Swap. It was supposed to be sent last month, but obviously I am still playing catch up (so that means she will get more than just one)! Tonight I am making my flower for Jane and a couple for Maria.

I also made this block a few nights ago, but can only post a sneak peek for now! It is getting mailed off to my partner Charlene in our Block Swap Adventure! I hope she likes it!

Since I haven't a finish...

2011-03-19T19:05:00.002-05:00

Since I don't actually have a finish to show (or really any true progress on anything!), I thought I would share some of the goodies I snatched up along my road trip:

First, in Houston on my last day in town I am getting ready to drop my good friend off at the airport when he says he has to drop something off at his friend's work, and he would just run in and back out really quick. We pull in and he directs me to a plaza, and then more specifically to the place called "It's a Stitch". I assumed it was an alterations shop until I parked and saw rows upon rows of fabric bolts!

"You bring me to a quilt shop and expect me to wait in the car?"

"Yes! I'll be quick"

So I waited and watched in my rear view as he went into the shop... That's when I noticed the Moda sticker on the door. I couldn't contain myself anymore! They had a rather large selection of precuts available, and I am definitely a sucker for them!

I grabbed a layer cake of Eden, a Central Park jelly roll (although I am now wishing I had grabbed two!), and two charm packs of Make Life. To be honest, I am not really sure if I actually mentally processed what I was grabbing or buying at that point. My defense is that I was being rushed and therefore I was under duress and pressure!

In Kansas City I went back to the store I loved most last time I was there: Harper's Fabric and Quilts. There I was just browsing, but I did see some pretty FQs that I just could not leave there! Let me remind you that all the stuff I bought last time, around Thanksgiving, is sitting mostly untouched still!

So hopefully tomorrow I will finally be ready to post some pictures of what I have been working on!

Finally!!

2011-03-17T16:31:00.003-05:00

Whew! I am finally at my dad's in Chicago. I got here late (after midnight) the night before last, and I am STILL trying to find a place for everything. I need to get my sleep schedule back on track as well, because sleeping in until 2pm every day is great, but not practical! It was a good (albeit expensive, with the rising gas prices) trip, I made several stops along the way and saw many old friends-- Houston, Dallas/Longview, Springfield MO, Kansas City/Leavenworth, and St Louis were all stops! I even treated myself to a 20$ makeover (yes twenty dollars)! A haircut and a new color later and:

Ta Da! And actually, the cost was even lower than 20... I went to a GreatClips for the cut, and they had a special for all haircuts (excluding S&BD) for only 6.99, and then a friend did the coloring, so that was another 7$ or so... Can't beat that :) Unfortunately, being a fake redhead is hard to maintain! It has only been a week and a half since this picture was taken and it has faded a bit. Fixing that this weekend :)

Today, while out running a few small errands, I happened upon what is, as far as I know, the only quilt shop here in the small town we live in (I say Chicago, but truth is, I'm about an hour South of "the city"). The shop is called B & J Sewing Center, and I was SO surprised when I walked in. The shop looks small on the outside, but there were TONS of fabric bolts in there, walls of patterns and notions, shelves with precuts, etc. The owners, Barb and John, were both there and extremely friendly as well. Best part is, they are right down the street! I have a feeling I will be racking up those loyalty points in no time!

So, for today I just have some laundry to finish up, then breaking out the sewing machine. I have alot of catching up to do! I promise I haven't forgotten about any of my commitments, they will be on their way asap! Sew on!

Good and Fun- a Round Robin

2011-02-17T13:54:00.003-06:00

*sigh*
I am always late these days.
ALMOST caught up though!
Here is my center for the Good and Fun Round Robin. I actually originally wanted the center stripes to be slanted, but as I started piecing them together I realized how horrible my math was and that if I did, not only would I be wasting alot of fabric, but it would be alot more work than I planned! I ended up just trimming it to a decent sized rectangle, but I actually love how it turned out.

Now that my center is different than what I envisioned/planned I am even MORE excited to see what Julie and the other gals come up with! AND don't worry, I included PLENTY PLENTY PLENTY of extra fabric to be played with :)

And on a side note/off topic, those of you who follow along know that I recently moved across town. Well, now I am moving across country. In two weeks. *gasp* When it rains it pours, right? The good news is that once I get home to Chicago, everything will settle down quite a bit. I'll be working less, be back in school, and surrounded by family. I can't wait :) BUT that means this next week I am going to be a sewing fiend to try to get everything I can done, not only this month, but also for March! Wish me luck :)

Block 8 is done!

2011-02-16T14:19:00.002-06:00

Hard to believe we are already 2/3 done with the LCQA! Here is my block 8:I was iffy about using two of the same prints but different colors, but I love how it turned out! Only four more blocks to go!

Worst Blogger?

2011-02-14T23:31:00.003-06:00

Okay maybe not THE worst, but I can't be far from it! Nearly two weeks since my last post... Well, alot has happened in the last two weeks, in my defense. First, my kids, my roommates, myself, and pretty much everyone else around me caught some horrible flu bug. I actually think it was some mutated flu virus, because this thing knocked all of us on our butts. Both of my roommates, my sister in law, and my daughter made visits to the ER.
(The hospital gown makes me look tan! Tee hee)

There was about 10 days straight that I couldn't even keep a meal down. I have gone down two jeans sizes in less than a month! That may be a good thing to some, but when all your jeans are falling off and you can't afford to go buy a whole new wardrobe right now it's not so great haha!

ANYWAY, with all that going on (plus work, spending time with my kiddos, my dad coming to visit, etc) I have managed to get a LITTLE bit of sewing done. I finished this block for Tamera as part of the Let's Bee Together group.

She gave directions for the main shoofly block, and said to make the sashing scrappy. It's on its way to her now, and I'm hoping she likes it!

Oh, and remember that block I sent to Linda last month for the Block Swap Adventure? Well, she posted a picture of the full block here. I forgot to take one before I sent it off, so you can see it there :)

More coming soon :)

iPod Touch Case

2011-02-02T23:53:00.004-06:00

I was up late last night, (surprise surprise) and decided to clean the house. Our sink had been stopped up for the last two days due to the neighbors moving out and tossing who knows what down their drain. Since ours connects to theirs and the catch is on their side.... well, lets just say it was unpleasant :/ Dishes were piled everywhere... ugh... Anyway, all that is really unrelated to my reason for posting! Anyway, yesterday sink was finished, I was tired of the mess. I cleaned the whole house spotless last night. I was on a roll. Then I found my roommate's iPod Touch on the floor. Again. She also just tosses it in her purse constantly. I keep telling her it is going to get scratched or broken but she doesn't listen!

So... after I was done cleaning, I decided I wanted to make her an ipod case. I searched google for an ipod touch case tutorial but wasn't finding anything I really wanted to make. I thought about it for a second and then realized I really could figure it out on my own, so I just winged it. A mere 30 minutes or so later I had this:The "A" is because her name is Alicia. She had seen this fabric in my bin one day last week and mentioned she liked it, so I picked it out.

I quilted tiny pebbles around the A... Not bad, but I thought quilting something small like this would be easy, but boy was I wrong. I felt like I had less control! Also, at 2am I am sure my quilting skills weren't at their sharpest, but I still like how it looks!

By the time I got to the back I decided I was pebbled out, though, and decided to do a quick stipple!

The lining wasn't quilted in, I added that after the quilting, and finished it off with a snap closure. I then put her ipod in it and set it on the dining room table for when she got home. She loves it :)

And I am not sure why the color is a bit funky in the first and last picture... I still need to get a nice camera. This iPhone camera can only do so much :/

A (partial) FINISH!

2011-02-01T05:11:00.004-06:00

A few nights ago, I finally finished sewing my strips into blocks for the Postage Stamp QAL....

It was 1230 am (ish).

Then before I went to bed I REALLY wanted to lay the all out and see what my finished top would look like:

Then I realized that I hadn't pressed the blocks yet... 48 blocks, that took awhile. It was almost 3am by then (I took a few breaks for various reasons).

I was so in love with my progress that I just couldn't stop then! So I kept going. I didn't feel like I was up that late, but before I knew it, it was past 5am and my quilt top was done (and pressed!)

Totally worth it!

I really want to quilt it myself, but it's pretty darn big for my little machine (There's a 6'5" 300+lb man holding that quilt top up for me!). I wanted to do pebbles inside all the solid squares, and I think I could do it since I wouldn't have to move the whole quilt much at a time. What do you think? Suggestions? Ideas? I don't want to send it off if I don't have to, but I have a Brother CS6000i, and the throat on it isn't that big. I had trouble stippling a 55x75 quilt, and this one is a good 5-6" bigger length and width-wise!

Help!

LCQA Block 7

2011-01-29T05:17:00.002-06:00

Wow, I can't believe we are already on block 7 of the Layer Cake Quilt Along! More than halfway done :) Here is my block:

And here they are all laid out together!

I am starting to think I may have bitten off more than I was ready for! Hopefully tomorrow I will get some more time at my machine to show of some other stuff I have been working on. It feels so good to be using my machine again! :)

Scrap-Bee

2011-01-26T18:38:00.004-06:00

Well, I *finally* finished Victoria's block for 15 Minutes Play's Scrap-Bee. Just in the nick of time, I believe. I have one more block to make for another Bee/Swap, and a few other miscellaneous things and I am all caught up.

Here is the block I made for Victoria:
It was really fun to make, but made me totally step out of my element! (That's a good thing!) I think I am really going to enjoy this bee!

I also finished a quilt I was making on commission. It looks amazing, and has taken me soooo long to finish, but unfortunately I had to give it to her today and didn't take a good picture beforehand... Hopefully she snaps a few for me, since this is the best I have:

The pic was taken before the quilting (meandering loops and occasional "hidden" hearts using a brown-green variegated thread), and before the binding. I am quite proud of the finish, even if I got down to the wire with completing it!

Side note- I really need to get a new camera now. This iphone is great for many things, but detailed pictures with good lighting is not one of them. *sigh*

A few blocks and an Update

2011-01-15T14:46:00.004-06:00

I finished Block 6 of the Layer Cake Quilt Along a few days ago.

I like how it turned out!! I think I should have thought ahead more when picking the squares for the blocks, because now alot of the squares left are the same prints in different colors. I'm not sure how the rest of the blocks will look, but I can't wait!

I also *mostly* finished my Birdie Stitches BOM for the month of January. All except for two spirals at the top

I probably won't finish that until later this month though, so I am sharing it now.

Ever feel like you took too much on? Well, I'm there! Haha at least it is keeping me busy and my mind off other things. I ALSO am participating in the PS I Quilt Postage Stamp Quilt Along, and I am almost done with my strip sets and should have a picture to show you all tomorrow!

The new place is almost all settled and coming together, but I have to run to the store and go get some other little stuff, and get ready for work. Longer post later :)

A few more things...

2011-01-04T20:24:00.004-06:00

I finished block 5 of the Layer Cake Quilt Along this afternoon during naptime:
I really love this block! I made a mistake sewing the wrong strips together, and basically wasting a nice chunk of fabric (although I will find something to use it for later, I won't be able to repurpose them into this quilt), but I cut a little more and did it the right way, haha.

I also finished this month's block for "Let's Bee Together," a bee started by Linda, of Stray Stitches. It just so happens that she also took the first month, so my block is for her! Here is a sneak peek, but I will show the finished block when she gets it! :)

I have a few things I am trying to cross off my to-do list before I pack everything up to be moved, so hopefully I can get them all done tonight and tomorrow!

Block 4

2011-01-04T11:35:00.002-06:00

I'm still around, but not getting much done in the sewing side of my life. I'll stop keeping everyone in the dark, and long story short, Shaine and I are separating. It's not exactly my decision, and not what I want, but we both have things to work on and he thinks it will be better if we aren't living together for that time. I am renting a townhouse a few miles up the interstate, and slowly moving my stuff over. That, combined with working and recovering from the holidays has really put a cramp on my time!

However, a few days ago I got block 4 of the LCQA done. I had cut all the pieces for block 5, but made some irreparable mistakes while sewing them together, so I am redoing the whole thing. Here is block 4 though:

Hopefully I will have some more to share soon! I have another project I am working on, but it isn't picture-ready yet :)

Happy Holidays

2010-12-28T11:29:00.004-06:00

My apologies for being so MIA lately, but let's just say there have been some things that have turned my personal life a bit upside down. There are alot of changes going on right now, and my posting will be intermittent for awhile. Bear with me! I will be back full force soon! And don't worry, I am still sewing, and will not let any of me bees or block swaps down!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, whichever you celebrate! Our Christmas was rather nice, we did gifts here at the house, and then went to Shaine's coworkers home for a Christmas dinner. I got to practice alot of Spanish speaking, and the food was great!

Cullen got lots of neat gifts (toys are so much cooler these days than when I was a kid!) but this by far was his favorite:

FNSI Results

2010-12-18T13:15:00.003-06:00

It was a short FNSI for me, as I ended up scheduled to work, but I did manage to whip these up before I went in:

The blocks are going to be part of the next fabric box. The boxes are for a friend of mine, who is one of the names my family "pulled" during our secret santa swap (with 6 different couples, and over 10 kids total, that would be alot of gift giving, just in our circle, so we simplified it!). Lisa (I can say that as she doesn't read my blog hehe) is a sewer (sewist?) and used to do a little quilting, but now with working full time and two kids, she hasn't gotten her machine out in awhile.

I am hoping these boxes will inspire her to dig it out so we have sewing get togethers! I originally wanted to make three different sizes, but seeing as the party is in about 5 hours, It is looking like I may have to settle with two :( Although, how perfect is it that when I asked what her favorite colors were, she said lime green, purple, and black?!

I won :)

2010-12-17T16:33:00.002-06:00

Almost two weeks ago, I entered a giveaway over at My Giveaway Today. It was for a penguin gift tower from Executive Baskets and I was hoping to win it for my sister, who is decorating her nursery with penguins and polar bears. Well, the way their giveaways work is they run for one day only, and then the next day you have just that day to claim your prize. I won (out of 668 comments! Can you believe that?) on Dec 7th, but didn't even realize it until Dec 10th!!! I was devastated that I missed it. At Shaine's urging, I went ahead and emailed MGAT anyway, explaining what happened and that I understood if it was too late. It wasn't! She said she planned on choosing another winner that night, but she hadn't yet, so I could still claim it!! Right away I had an email from the company for me to tell them where to send it, and I had them send it straight to her! How nice!!

Here is the little penguin in his new home. Pardon the finger, apparently I am not the worst photographer after all ;) I hope you like it, Chelsey, and that little Perry will like it too!

PTS4 Received! (+ some non-quilty-goodies!)

2010-12-16T16:05:00.004-06:00

Once again, I am so pleased with my mail lady! I was starting to doubt the USPS after a package my grandmother sent me was M.I.A for about a week (what good is delivery confirmation/tracking if they don't actually update it?), but then yesterday I received a package I had ordered on Monday (only TWO days?!). I ordered these adorable candy cane earrings from The Clay Cafe, an etsy shop owned by a close friend of my sisters, who we met in high school (and her dad just so happened to be the CSM of the basic training battalion next to mine!) It came beautifully wrapped in a Christmas gift bag:

And inside were these goodies:

A postcard with a dinosaur for Cullen, a hairbow for Aubree (although she will have to actually grow some hair first!), and the earrings!

And how gorgeous are they? We have to dress festive at work, and I just now I will get lots of compliments on these, especially when I tell them they were handmade by a friend!

THEN TODAY, I walk to the mailbox, not expecting anything special, and there was a package, addressed to me, with "PTS4" written on it!! I was immediately nervous and excited, and even texted Shaine before I opened it. Inside, it was wrapped in pretty Christmas tissue paper, and even tied with a bow, but I was way too excited to take a picture first!

Oh, I was stunned! First of all, even the little goodies Megan sent were adorable and thoughtful. A note pad (maybe she saw my "make a list" posts!), a patchwork tissue holder, and a keychain wristlet (I think those are called FOBs? I never understood that name), as well as a little card.

Then the pillow... Oh my, the pillow...

She noticed that I adored cathedral windows (but have yet to attempt them myself), and knew I liked bold colors. The red and the black PERFECTLY match my living room! I can't wait for Shaine to come home with the car (mine currently is not running *grumble*) so I can run to Hobby Lobby or Joann's to get a pillowform for it! Thankyou so much Megan, it all is really fantastic! (And to the USPS-- I forgive you!!)

One Flower Wednesday

2010-12-15T17:52:00.002-06:00

Here is a little one I whipped up today, out of my scraps again.

It isn't for the swap, so I have no idea what I will use it for, but I think the petals fabric is just so happy! I have some more stuff to show tomorrow, but for now I have to rush out the door for work! Cheers!

Jorie

Make a List Monday--On Tuesday

2010-12-14T23:06:00.002-06:00

Surprise, Surprise, I know...
Yesterday I took a MUCH needed and well deserved "Girly Day" to pamper myself! A good friend of mine recently moved back to town (we went to high school together years ago in Missouri, and now both live here in Texas), and she is a licensed cosmetician--and great at it too! She really has a knack for style of any type. She offered to give me a makeover, and here's what happened.

Before:
Hair is long, but unhealthy (from bleaching the black and red I decided to put in it last year) and unevenly colored, as only the fresh, healthy hair at the top holds dye.

After:
About three inches off the bottom (should have taken off a bit more, but I was hesitant to lose too much overall length!), evened out the brown (a few shades lighter than my natural color), and added bright red lowlights. She even decided to curl it and do my makeup. I love it!

Amazing what a little change could do for a girl's self-esteem!

Then today, we got our family Christmas pictures taken! I won't post them all, but you can see them on Flickr if interested!

I made the mistake of scheduling the appointment for right after Shaine's workday ended. I thought it would be convenient to just go straight from work to the studio, but I didn't think about that it would run into dinnertime and Cullen would get fussy :( And of course, it was the one time I forgot to pack a snack while out and about.

So now that you know why my list is late, here is last week's:

~~1. Make progress on the quilt I was commissioned to make.~~ 4/8 blocks done! I forgot to take a picture though, so I will share later this week!

~~2. Make my flower for Hanne in the Inchy Flower Swap~~ Done! I need to get it in the mail ASAP though!

3. Finish the gifts for my sister Not done yet :(

4. Make some more self-binding receiving blankets/burp cloths Also haven't gotten to it!

~~5. Wrap up my package to my PTS4 partner and send it off (with lots of goodies!!)~~ Done today! I know it wasn't done by Monday, but it was done before the list was updated, so I consider it a victory!

And so for this week:

1. Send off Hanne's flower!

2. {TRY TO} Finish my sister's gifts

3. Finish at least 2 more blocks for the quilt

4. Make Block 4 of the LCQA (I might attempt that one tonight)

And I think that's it for pressing stuff. I should be able to get it all done, as I have some extra days off this week! I hope everyone is making good progress on their Christmas projects! I have definitely learned why people start worrying about them in the Summer! Lesson learned!

It's done! (FNSI Results!)

2010-12-11T15:59:00.006-06:00

Well, my Friday Night Sew-In turned into a Saturday morning sew-in, due to some unexpected houseguests last night, but I have finished up all the goodies that are going along with my pillow for the Pillow Talk Swap!
There's the pillow, a mug rug, a drawstring bag (I used this tutorial--so fast and easy!), and some leftover triangles cut by my Go! Cutter for my partner to use however they see fit! Believe it or not, ALL of these were made using less than a fat quarter of each of the prints!

Now I am not sure if I am more excited to receive my own pillow or for my partner to receive hers! Making a trip to the post office on Monday! Should be a nice Christmas surprise for her :)

2010 in Status

2010-12-09T16:23:00.004-06:00

So, on Facebook there is an application that makes a collage out of your status updates from the last year. I remember for 2009 it was pictures, which I thought I still had but apparently don't. Here is my status collage:

I find it amusing that the majority of them are about food, being tired, or me being a smart aleck! It reminded me of some great stuff that happened throughout the year, like when I got Cullen to flush the toilet while Shaine was in the shower (it makes the water really hot, and no it isn't mean, he deserved it for dumping ICE WATER on me the day before!), funny things Shaine said ("When is cinco de Mayo?" or when asked what his middle initial is he said "M as in Mary" instead of "Micheal" or "Mark" or any GUY name ;) ), or when Shaine won the state NCO of the year competition! It has been a good year, and I am ready for the next one.

And in other good news, I think Cullen is finally potty trained, during the day anyway. Hopefully in the next week or so we will be sans diapers for him all the way! Woohoo!

How has 2010 been for you? Hopefully good. Favorite memories? I am thinking that maybe I will gather up some of the neat partial-FQs I have and get a scrap bundle going for an I-Spy Giveaway at the end of the year! It would be my first giveaway, so what do you think?

One Flower Wednesday

2010-12-08T11:56:00.003-06:00

Another for the Inchy Flower Swap:
I wasn't sure at first about the purple and the yellow, but I love how it looks all done. I just hope that the yellow isn't too dark for my partner this month!
I need to hurry up and get it in the mail!

Make a List Monday #7

2010-12-06T15:19:00.004-06:00

I thought last weeks list was going to be simple... Let's see how I did...

1. Get 4/8 blocks done for the quilt I have been commissioned to make. It needs to be done by the first week of January. I am a little embarrassed to say I haven't even finished calculating the measurements of the blocks/pieces of the blocks.

~~2. Do my Layer Cake Quilt Along block~~ Thinking about redo-ing the handle, though. I am really liking how these blocks are coming together!

3. Finish the Christmas gift I am making for my sister and her hubby-- Although I have a feeling a FINISH won't be doable, I hope to at least have it mostly done this week! Halfway done. Had to get some more fabric, which I finally did yesterday.

Suffice it to say, I am determined to make a much better move on this week! Shaine is gone out of town (again!) to Chicago, so its just me and the kiddos. I took off work until Saturday, which is both a good and bad thing. Good because it opens up alot of time for me to get some crafting done--which I really need!! Bad because that means I have no personal income until Saturday--which I really need!! Quite the catch 22, right? I am embracing the time off though, as I can make up for the missed money later, but time you can never get back!

So this weeks list is as follows:

1. Make progress on the quilt I was commissioned to make.

2. Make my flower for Hanne in the Inchy Flower Swap

3. Finish the gifts for my sister

4. Make some more self-binding receiving blankets/burp cloths

5. Wrap up my package to my PTS4 partner and send it off (with lots of goodies!!)

And that may look small, but not to me. Ah well, off I go! How are you progressing on your Christmas crafting?

And just so as to not have a picture-less post, here are two from my trip to Austin Thursday night to visit two friends I haven't seen since shortly after my return from Iraq almost 3 years ago.
Cullen and "Unc Paw" (Uncle Paul)

Matt, Me, Paul, and Cullen
(apologies for the quality. The lighting in the restaurant was horrible, and all I had was my iPhone!)

Pretty Fabric :)

2010-12-05T19:50:00.007-06:00

As if I needed any more reasons to love the mail lady...
I am now definitely addicted to the "Stash Builder Bundles" at Imagine Fabric. I'm sure you can understand why :)
I ♥ Joel Dewberry!
Judi, of Green Fairy Quilts, also helps me spend all my paychecks ;) (Have you seen the examples of her long arm quilting? *sigh* When I do get around to making a LARGE quilt, I don't know who I would want to send the first quilt to, Judi or Natalia of Piece N Quilt. Both ladies are AMAZING!)

One Flower Wednesday

2010-12-01T03:11:00.006-06:00

Seeing as how I have become quite enamored with these little hexie flowers, I have decided to jump in and share my flower garden by signing up over at Journey of a Quilter, and sharing my progress!

For my first One Flower Wednesday post, I am actually going to share TWO. These are two flowers I made during the road trip back from Kansas while it was still light out enough to do so.

They were made using the 2.5inch squares I cut from my scraps using my AccuQuilt Go! cutter. I have decided I am going to go back to basting them through all the layers though. I feel that it is sturdier that way, especially since Mister Cullen likes to play with them and he knocked the paper out of one of them.

I know I said I was going to share pictures of the new fabric I got, but I decided I will hold that off until I get the other package I ordered and share it all at once :) Happy Wednesday!

LCQA Block 3

2010-11-30T17:06:00.003-06:00

I finished block 3 just now.
I love how it turned out! I was worried about having such a dark background fabric, when most everyone else had a light one, but I think it will be okay in the end!

I also took apart and trimmed all my squares in block 2. After putting them back together, the block now measures the exact same as the other two.

I guess I won't skip little parts of instructions anymore ;)

To join in, head on over to Moose on the Porch Quilts, or click on the button on the right hand side :)

Make a List ... Tuesday--Again!

2010-11-30T16:29:00.003-06:00

I have a good excuse for this post being a day late! Besides a 13+ hour drive, getting home at 3am Monday morning, and running errands during the day, we also put up our Christmas tree last night!AND-- we are back on track with the potty training, so please excuse my son's mostly-nakedness!This is our second year with the white tree, and although I didn't care for it last time, I love it now! I do wish we could get a real tree, but with my allergies, and two VERY big dogs, this is just the easier and safer route! Here it is all done:

I know what you're thinking-- what am I doing with a 3$ Walmart tree skirt? Well, I hadn't thought about the fact that we needed one, and now there is no way I would get it done in time. So, maybe after all the chaos dies down I will try this tree skirt, Fruitcake Under My Tree, designed by one of my favorite bloggers, Tracey (traceyjay).

(Or maybe you're not thinking about the tree skirt, and you're thinking more about the horrible quality of the pictures... The first few Shaine took, so blame him for those ;) But yes, I do need a photography class, or some good tips!)

So, the list! Here is the list from last week:

~~1. Enjoy a family Thanksgiving in Kansas City. We leave home on Wednesday for the 13+ hour drive to Kansas City! First road trip with both kids, and hopefully they do well...~~ It was a WONDERFUL visit, even though the road trip was a bit rough on the way up!

~~2. Squeeze in some time to check out some quilt shops while in Kansas City. Who knows, maybe some will have Black Friday sales!~~ I did do a post about this already, some great stuff there in Kansas City, even though most of it was a bit more pricey than what I am used to here in San Antonio!

And for this weeks list, bear in mind I am working nearly every night this week again, and Shaine leaves on Sunday for a WEEK!

1. Get 4/8 blocks done for the quilt I have been commissioned to make. It needs to be done by the first week of January.

2. Do my Layer Cake Quilt Along block

3. Finish the Christmas gift I am making for my sister and her hubby-- Although I have a feeling a FINISH won't be doable, I hope to at least have it mostly done this week!

And on that note, I have to start getting ready for work! I love that I am working again, but I think this will be my last week of "Open Availability".... Last week was short of course, but the week before that I clocked 44 hours, and this week I'll be clocking about 35 or so. *sigh* I think the majority of quilting mamas I have seen are SAHMs, but I know I have seen some who work, whether from home or out of home, and all I can say is "Wow, how?!" Share some secrets! I barely found time to spend with my sewing machine before I started working!

OH! And I got some wonderful goodies in the mail yesterday! I will share some pictures and plans for those in tomorrow's post!

Thanksgiving Quilt Shop Hop

2010-11-28T09:53:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! We took a road trip to Kansas City for the weekend, to spend the holiday with my side of the family, and we're getting ready to head back to San Antonio this morning. First, though, I wanted to share some pictures of the loot I picked up yesterday! My mom's friend Carey is a quilter, and really the only person outside of the bloggy world that I have regular access to that quilts. I think I did convince her to make a blog and share some pictures of the amazing stuff she has made, and the ones she is working on!

We picked out a few shops in the Kansas City area, and got on the move. First up was a smaller store near my moms house (that I can't remember the name of). The fabric there seemed extremely overpriced, and very much so like the fabric I can get at Walmart. I did pick up two FQs there to go into Cullen's I-Spy quilt. Next, we went to Prairie Point Quilts. They wouldn't let me take pictures inside the shop, because of some of the quilts on the wall and copyright issues, but let me just say WOW! They had some amazing quilts on the wall for inspiration, and aisles, walls, and racks full of amazing bolts of fabric. While much of the stuff was more of the country/repro/30s style, it just so happened to be exactly what I was looking for.

The next stop was Harper's Fabric and Quilt Co., and I knew as soon as I walked in that I loved this place. Maybe it was because I had Moda's Botany to my right, Fandango and Spirit to my left, and I could see Amy Butler towards the halfway point of the store. I picked up a few FQs that caught my eye, some Spirit yardage for a project I need to finish, and a small Fandango FQ bundle. I would love to have this shop closer to home! They had a small armchair they reupholstered with a scrappy log cabin patchwork, a big wall with every type of notion and thread you could imagine, a "sewing lounge" you could rent out by yourself or with friends and use your own machines or theirs and get some quiet sewing time!

Our last, and unintentional, stop was at a newer place called Fabric Recycles which we just happened to see as we drove by. It turned out to be a fabric thrift store. What an AMAZING idea! You could sell your stash, notions, UFOs, etc, to the store, which would resell them at discount prices. I wish we had found this place first! With everything color organized, it was really easy to see what they had.
I got some scraps for Cullen's quilt, and some good quality yarn for my sister's knitting projects. And look what Carey and I found:
Completely hand-pieced, 3/4in hexagons, all 30s prints. Carey and I both are pretty sure it really is very old. She nearly bought it, but there were a few moth holes, and a few stains. It was definitely an exhilarating find at first, though!

All in all, I got quite a few goodies, and told Shaine not to look at the bank statement this month (what was he thinking by keeping the cash and sending me off with the debit card?!) and it was a great end to the Thanksgiving weekend! Now, I must return to packing so we can get on the road back home!

Pillowtalk Finish!

2010-11-23T17:31:00.003-06:00

I am all done with my partner's pillow! I quilted it using not-so-straight lines throughout all the grey sections. I didn't want to ruin the beautiful prints! The gray is a Kona Cotton, but I don't remember which one, I think it was medium gray. I also made a little mug rug to go with it, and will hopefully whip up one or two more goodies to include in the package. Other than that, it will be on its way to its new home soon!

Although, hubby says I should just keep it here ;)

Make a List Monday #5

2010-11-22T17:07:00.002-06:00

Number five already? The weeks are really flying by. It is hard to believe the my little girl is almost three months already. OH and look, she's holding her own bottle already:

And her cute dress she wore today:
(My apologies for the horrible picture quality, but it was one of those "If I don't get this now, I'll never get it again", so the iPhone had to do!)
She is just getting so big so fast. She is already in 6m clothing *sigh*, and to think I thought I had enough clothes handed down to us to last at least the first 9-10 months....

Well, without further adieu (as I still have to cook dinner--sloppy joe's tonight!, and hopefully finish quilting the PTS4 pillow so I can share finished pictures, or at least another sneak peek tomorrow), here was last weeks list:

1. Finish my pillow for the PillowTalk Swap. I am ALMOST done with the front, I just have to get some thread in the right color for the quilting. Then some scraps to practice whether I want to do a zipper or an envelope backing, as I have never done the envelope. So if any of you make throw pillows, feel free to share your favorite tutorials for either method!--- This one is almost done. I have just a little more quilting to do, then the envelope backing (which I decided on due to being unable to find an invisible zipper in the right color, and being too impatient to wait to order one)
2. Make a mug rug. Yes. I first thought I wouldn't have a use for it in my house, but more and more as I see these rings on my glass coffee table, I realize we have no coasters and maybe a mug rug would make it so I don't have to break out the windex several times a day! Yes, I did make one! I love it! I made it to coordinate with the pillow, however, as sort of a way to test out how I wanted to quilt the big pillow (in case I messed up or I hated it!), so it won't be staying here. Still counts as a finish, though, right?
3. Go pick out some fabrics for a quilt I have been commissioned to do (excited about this one!) Hadn't been able to do this one until Saturday, but after not really finding anything that stood out to me, and due to time restraints, I decided I will wait and see if I can find anything at any quilt shops in Kansas City while I am there.

Not bad, 1.5/3 finishes.

Okay, who am I kidding, that's only half... In my defense, though, the quilting is going to look really awesome, and I have somehow squeezed it and the mug rug in between naptimes and after clocking more than 44 hours in at work this week! My list for this week is even simpler--

1. Enjoy a family Thanksgiving in Kansas City. We leave home on Wednesday for the 13+ hour drive to Kansas City! First road trip with both kids, and hopefully they do well... Now that Cullen is over 2, though, FLYING anywhere as a family is almost out of the question-- Would you rather pay approximately 200$ in gas round trip, or twice that amount per person times 3 people? I thought so. Although, this one is a bit more complex than it sounds since in order to get there and enjoy I must do a ton of laundry, get the oil changed, pack four bags, etc.... *sigh*

2. Squeeze in some time to check out some quilt shops while in Kansas City. Who knows, maybe some will have Black Friday sales! I know Green Fairy Quilts is planning a great sale for those of you who love to shop for their Moda precuts online (wink wink!) Meanwhile, if any of you have ever been to Kansas City or the surrounding areas (Shawnee, Basehor, or Leavenworth is where I will be spending time), and can recommend a quilt shop or to, please do share!

Flowers in November

2010-11-20T11:01:00.003-06:00

It's starting to get chilly here in San Antonio. Yes, I realize some of you probably have snow already, or that its much colder than our 50ºF weather, but here's the thing-- I H-A-T-E the cold! If it drops below 70, I am a huge baby about it. Anytime I have to wear more than shorts and a tank top I get grumpy. Well, to combat the chilly temperatures, I have been making a few more hexie flowers.
They remind me of springtime and warmer weather! Cullen really liked this blue one, I had to trick him to get it back!

Both of these are for ladies in the Inchy Flower Swap, even though it isn't even my turn to swap with them yet! One hexie flower a month is simply not enough ;)

I've made great progress on my partner's pillow for PTS4! Almost done, so I will have another sneak peek soon :)

Pillowtalk progress, hexies, and more

2010-11-16T10:36:00.004-06:00

I have all the blocks done for my partner's pillow. I wasn't completely satisfied at first, but the feedback I have gotten from the wonderful group members on the flickr group has been helpful!

The points don't measure up perfectly, and I have actually taken things apart more than once or twice. (Ignore the outside wonkiness... I haven't trimmed it up yet!) Normally, if it was staying here I wouldn't be such a perfectionist, but the pillows that come out of this group look so fantastic that I don't want my partner to be disappointed at all!!

I mentioned the boxy pouch I made that came out smaller than planned, right? Well it just happens to be almost the perfect size for my hexies:I printed the hexagon template from here. I am still waiting for my LQS to get the papers in. I know, I could just keep photocopying and cutting, but I'd rather pay for the convenience in this case!

Anyway, block two of the Layer Cake Quilt Along has been released! I would love to get it done today, BUT I do have work tonight, so we'll see. Plus, if I do it now, I'll be dying for the next two weeks until the next one is released! ;)

Make a list Monday #4

2010-11-15T14:34:00.003-06:00

Well, last week's list was rather easy... I got some stuff done, and even made some additional stuff!

Let's see:
~~1. Make a boxy zipper pouch for my essentials at work (is it cheating to put this if I am already planning on doing it as soon as I am done with this?)~~ Well, I did make a boxy pouch, and it did come out well... However, I made mine proportionately smaller than the tutorial, since my zipper was smaller, and as a result it came out too small to actually use it for what I planned to. It IS the perfect size to hold some of my hexie essentials, especially if I find a tiny pair of thread scissors! I will post some pictures once my camera finishes charging
2. Finish the last two cake stand covers This is proving harder than I expected. I thought this would be super simple, but I don't have the stands to make sure they lay flat, and are the right size, with the right hang over. *sigh*
3. Play with my new accuquilt dies (I know, hard to squeeze in, right?) Still working on this one ;)

And once again, this week will be rather short, too, as I work 5 of the next 7 days, and today is the only day off that is also a Night off for Shaine. (Yes, family time seems to be pretty rare these days, especially now that we are going to dinner tonight with friends.)

1. Finish my pillow for the PillowTalk Swap. I am ALMOST done with the front, I just have to get some thread in the right color for the quilting. Then some scraps to practice whether I want to do a zipper or an envelope backing, as I have never done the envelope. So if any of you make throw pillows, feel free to share your favorite tutorials for either method!
2. Make a mug rug. Yes. I first thought I wouldn't have a use for it in my house, but more and more as I see these rings on my glass coffee table, I realize we have no coasters and maybe a mug rug would make it so I don't have to break out the windex several times a day!
3. Go pick out some fabrics for a quilt I have been commissioned to do (excited about this one!)

And just so this post has a picture, here are the prints I have decided upon for my PTS4 Pillow for my partner (more on that tomorrow as well!):

Yummy Fabric!! (I still ♥ the mail lady!)

2010-11-13T12:43:00.009-06:00

Well, I meant to post this all on Thursday when it arrived, but as you may have read, I got a bit distracted! Anyway, I ordered a FQ Bundle from Imagine Fabric late Sunday/early Monday, and it arrived in my mailbox on Thursday! I think that just might beat the record! The bundle I bought was their Designer Fabric Stashbuilder Bundle. 16 fat quarters for 28.50 (and less than 5$ shipping!)--That comes out to less than TWO DOLLARS a fat quarter! Yes please! Which fat quarters you get is not predetermined, but I was completely ~~satisfied~~ thrilled with what I saw inside that envelope! Look:Free Spirit

Some Heather Bailey

Valori Wells

My favorite of the bunch-- Heather Ross' Mendocino!!

There were two Amy Butler FQs, too, but somehow they escaped the picture session! (**Maybe one of those is contributing to my PTS4 creation, wink wink**)

I don't know about you, but inexpensive bundles like this are perfect for someone like me who does not always have a ton of money to invest in fabric at a time, but still likes the good stuff ;)

Look how pretty it all looks stacked up!

I think I unfolded, folded, unfolded, folded-- you get the picture-- each one several times!

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T19:22:00.006-06:00

So, I totally meant to do a post earlier today about Veteran's Day, and some new fabric I received (I even uploaded the pictures to my flickr account hours ago!), but I got distracted and compelled to do a rant on Facebook and have been semi-stewing over it since.

There are two holidays a year designed to honor the military, our soldiers, the wars we have fought, and the men and women who were lost: Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. As it states in my "About Me", the hubs and I are both Iraq war veterans. I spent four years in the Army, one year of which was in Iraq, learned an entire foreign language (Chinese Mandarin to be specific), and all of that was before I even was able to legally drink alcohol. Shaine has served five years active duty, and continues to serve in the National Guard. He has spent close to three years overseas, and more than two of that was in Iraq. His 19th, 21st, and 22nd birthdays were all celebrated in Iraq. His uncle served in Vietnam, and his brother and cousin (both recently separated from Active Duty) served in Iraq, all Army. The majority of the men in my family served in the military: My great uncle and two cousins on my dad's side (one still in the Reserves), my grandpa, and two uncles (one still serving in the Air Force) on my moms side. My mom served in the Army. My stepdad retired from the army after serving in Kuwait during the gulf war, Bosnia, and several other deployments, and has deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan as a civilian contractor since retiring. My brother in law is currently serving in the Marines. The military has been a daily part of my life since my mom joined when I was 6 or 7. I was at her basic training graduation. I went to four different high schools, a new one in a different state each year. I can't listen to the National Anthem, retreat, or Taps without getting choked up and getting chills, and I cried last night when the usher at the Spurs game wouldn't let us in to watch the choir sing the Star Spangled Banner. I take great pride in my service, and the service of those around me. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for the things the military has provided me and my family, or that I don't think of the sacrifices others have made for us to have the things we do.

So why the Facebook rant, you ask? Well, I think it is amazing and wonderful that some companies and restaurants offer military discounts or free meals for Veteran's Day. I am proud to take advantage of these offers. However, a few friends made comments along the lines of "Veterans shouldn't take advantage or be happy about free meals because you are forgetting those who cannot share them with you." This got under my skin for so many reasons. First off, I will say that while all but 1 who made those sorts of comments WERE at least military, only one of them had actually been on any deployment (a three month one, and while not to Iraq or Afghanistan, it was to a dangerous country-- but her status was more along the lines of "I know people who can't eat a good meal BECAUSE they're deployed"). I won't get into all the details of my rant, but I will say that non-military people who have lost someone-- a friend or relative-- in any war, is never going to forget that person. A military servicemember who hasn't deployed but knows people who have is never going to forget them. Someone who has been there, and experienced war first hand, or seen some of the horrible things there, is going to remember almost every detail of those occurrences every day for the rest of their life. War is not something a person will ever forget. War veterans-- whether the Korean War, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any of the lesser publicized conflicts/wars-- are going to think about their service during that war in some way, shape, or form every day. Sometimes it will be a funny story they think of. Maybe a song that they thought of or listened to while on a patrol or a convoy. Maybe it's the birthday of a lost friend or loved one. Maybe anytime they hear a helicopter it makes them think of the helipad that was outside of their building in Iraq. Maybe when they can't sleep at night they are thinking about the fact that the last true good night's sleep they had was before they ever deployed, or they're afraid to sleep because they are worried they will have another scary or weird or crazy dream/nightmare about being back in Iraq. Maybe when they're at the bar and they hear a drink order, it reminds them that it was the favorite drink they used to share with a friend that was lost. To hear someone (especially one who hasn't experienced war or combat firsthand) say that a veteran taking advantage of a nice and generous offer for them because of their service means that they are ungrateful or unappreciative or forgetful of the ultimate sacrifice given by some of their comrades is downright offensive. Any veteran, whether they deployed or not, that *forgets* or is unappreciative of those who gave their lives simply is nonhuman.
MOST veterans do not ask for any recognition, let alone special events or offers. Some of us even feel uncomfortable when receiving any type of recognition. In fact, when I came home on my R&R Leave (two weeks break from Iraq), and when I came back from the end of deployment, we were greeted by USO members/volunteers and many American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) members. They stood in a long receiving line, shaking our hands, saying "Thankyou" and to me, it was extremely uncomfortable and awkward. I love watching other veterans be recognized and thanked, but to be thanked by other veterans? I should be thanking them. Veterans of Vietnam, the Korean War, and some may have even served in WW2, or most certainly remember it. Their living conditions were far worse, they lost many more of their brothers in arms, and especially in the case of the Vietnam war, they were treated far worse upon their homecoming.
So, I guess my point is that someone should never assume that because someone is taking advantage of a great offer, and getting a free doughnut or a free sub sandwich, that it means they aren't thinking of what others have sacrificed, because the truth is-- that vet probably thinks about them every single day, holiday or not.

With all that said, thankyou to ALL veterans, and thankyou to everyone who takes a moment out to recognize and be thankful of veterans, too! I have seen some gorgeous flag and other patriotic quilts in my reader today, but this one by Colleen of Lucky Duck Dreams has to be my favorite! Check it out!

Make a List ... Tuesday?

2010-11-09T14:27:00.004-06:00

Well, a day late, but that is better than never, right? I made a little progress this week:

1. Stitch up some quick cake stand covers for my sister 1/3 done.... *sigh*
2. Finish the owl pillow she asked me to make for her (all that is left is to stitch up the opening from stuffing it) If I say she doesn't want it until next month can I let this go a little longer?
~~3. Sketch up an idea for a new baby quilt for a good friend, and for my brown bag quilt~~ Both done! :)
4. Make a bag with one of the patterns I have and have not tried yet Didn't get around to it, but I am going to try one of these boxy zipper pouches I have seen all over the place today before work!
5. RELAX! We're never really DONE with that, are we?

So, as I was typing, my doorbell rang, and guess who it was? UPS! With my correct Accuquilt dies! So excited! Last night I finally broke down and cleaned up my sewing area, and started cutting some 2.5in squares with the Accuquilt Go! Cutter... I am already head over heels! I love it, and can't wait to use it again. Turns out the 2.5in squares are the perfect size to use for some hexies, and I just so happened to ask Shaine to print some templates off for me from work (My LQS ordered a pack of die cut ones, but they STILL haven't gotten them in. I could trace/cut, but I worry that they won't be too accurate. Anyway, I then made my first two hexies and stitched them together. Not half bad! So then I got the fabric I was planning on using and made 7 more and put them together. Here is my --first ever-- hexie flower:

It is being dropped in the mail tonight and on its way to Jenni of Jenni Se ws. It is the first hexie I am sending as part of the Inchy Flower Swap (see the button on the right!), and I also received my first one yesterday as well! I requested white/light centers and citrus colors for the petals (whether all the same, or all different didn't matter). I have yet to take a picture of it, but you can see it, and some of the others so far, in our flickr group here!

And now, for this week's list:
1. Make a boxy zipper pouch for my essentials at work (is it cheating to put this if I am already planning on doing it as soon as I am done with this?)
2. Finish the last two cake stand covers
3. Play with my new accuquilt dies (I know, hard to squeeze in, right?)

This week is a short list... Work tonight, Spurs game (woohoo!) tomorrow night, Shaine has class Thursday, and I work Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday. *Sigh* Things are much busier with Shaine working full-time, going to school, and me working close to full time! Oh well, it will all pay off eventually, right? Right?

LCQA Block 1

2010-11-05T15:06:00.004-05:00

This is my version of the first Block of the Layer Cake Quilt Along:I am using Migration by Holly Taylor for Moda. I had been contemplating whether or not to do this quilt along, and after seeing the first block, I decided to jump on in! I can handle one block every two weeks (I hope!). I cut the pieces while Cullen ate breakfast, and sewed them up while Aubree napped and Cullen had quiet time, since he is rebelling against naps lately. Not too bad, I think! One point that didn't quite meet up (and I was SO careful with my seam allowances), but the final block lays flat and measures what it is supposed to, so that works for me so far!

Anyone else participating in this quilt along? Leave your link if you blogged about it!

Also, here is a picture that made me laugh today, taken by Glenna, of Hollyhock Quilts. It is from the Quilt Market/Festival in Houston this past week:

I think the picture should be titled "You know you're in Texas when...." hehe :) I really wanted to make it to festival, but with the new job (starting tonight!), and the kiddos, it just wasn't happening this year. Ah well, maybe someday, right?!

I ♥ the mail lady!

2010-11-04T15:05:00.002-05:00

Well, wouldn't you if she brought you all these goodies yesterday?

Okay, so my Go! got here last week, but I knew if I opened it there would be no chance of getting the costumes done! Besides, I am waiting on the correct dies to get here. I think I will take some of my scraps and cut them into squares tonight, though, just to test it out!

As for all the fabric, I have plenty of friends and family members who are currently expecting babies early next year, so I am going to be making quite a few baby quilts, I'm sure!

Another thing that came in the mail yesterday was part of my Christmas gift from my sister. It requires assembling, so I haven't taken a picture yet. What is it, you ask? Well, it's a shelving unit for fat quarters! And apparently it holds up to 300 of them! Considering I have nowhere near that amount, I think she's encouraging me to build my stash up a bit! Seeing as how I start my NEW JOB tomorrow, I think that just might be happening very soon! Also, our roommate is moving out at the end of this month, meaning that I will have my guest room/sewing room back! I can't wait!

Oh, and while on the subject of building up my stash, there are two giveaways going on right now with a sweet selection of goodies! First, Little Miss Shabby is giving away a NINE FQ stack of Summer in the City, with lots of ways to gain entries! Second, for a shot to win your choice of a jelly roll or a layer cake of Pure (like my charm pack up above!), head over to That's Sew Shawna and try your luck again :)

Make a List Monday #2

2010-11-01T11:00:00.005-05:00

Wow, this past week has flown by! So much so that I haven't even been on to post since last Monday (although breaking my computer mouse had a little to do with that. I hate the touchpad of my laptop!)

Well, lets see where this last week has gotten me:

1. Stitch up some quick cake stand covers for my sister Still not done *sigh* I think this one irks me the most because I know it will be quick and easy, and I already have all the fabric, I just have to start. Have you ever postponed a project because it was TOO simple?

2. Finish the owl pillow she asked me to make for her (all that is left is to stitch up the opening from stuffing it) Also not done. Since they are being sent with the cake stand covers, though, I am not too worried about it yet.

~~3. Finish spraypainting Cullen's costume (I thought I had enough blue spray paint on hand, but fell just a bit short, so I have to get a new one)~~ DONE! His little lego costume was so easy and fast--- and nearly free! He got compliments on it all day and evening.

~~4. Complete making Shaine's costume... I can't wait to share this one!~~ Also DONE! This one won us some money. He's a kidnapped mermaid!

5. Sketch up an idea for a new baby quilt for a good friend, and for my brown bag quilt Not done, but I did take this picture of a walkway while leaving Sea World last night:Seems like a cute idea for some quilt blocks! (Or at least I think so anyway!)

So 2 out of 5 done. Not very good for my first "Make a List Monday" :( However, the entire month of October has been nonstop busy! All the birthdays, visiting family, helping a friend move last minute, Halloween, and the festivities that go along with all of the above has been tons of fun, but I'm ready for life to settle back down a bit! Yesterday all the couples got together and had a cookout for lunch, took the kiddos to Sea World for their Halloween bash, then came home for some trick or treating before bed.

Hopefully I will be able to get some more done this week, but I have to start looking for part time work! I am looking forward to getting out of the house a bit, meeting new people, and bringing home a little bit of money for myself. :)

This week's list:
1. Stitch up some quick cake stand covers for my sister
2. Finish the owl pillow she asked me to make for her (all that is left is to stitch up the opening from stuffing it)
3. Sketch up an idea for a new baby quilt for a good friend, and for my brown bag quilt
4. Make a bag with one of the patterns I have and have not tried yet
5. RELAX!

Looks much easier this week! What's on your to do list?

Make a List Monday

2010-10-25T10:38:00.004-05:00

I have been reading the lists that Sarah, from Confessions of a Fabric Addict, makes for herself each week, as well as the updates showing how much she got done off the list from last week. It hit me that I could probably benefit from making myself a list each week. I am sure I will never COMPLETE the list, but at least if I have it organized it might make it all seem less daunting! So here goes, my crafty to-do list:

1. Stitch up some quick cake stand covers for my sister

2. Finish the owl pillow she asked me to make for her (all that is left is to stitch up the opening from stuffing it

3. Finish spraypainting Cullen's costume (I thought I had enough blue spray paint on hand, but fell just a bit short, so I have to get a new one)

4. Complete making Shaine's costume... I can't wait to share this one!

5. Sketch up an idea for a new baby quilt for a good friend, and for my brown bag quilt

I think that is all reasonable stuff to finish in a week! Nothing too involved, so hopefully I will be able to get it done. The costumes I have to get done, so at least I know those will be crossed off the list! ;) Are you as excited about Halloween as I am?

Oh, and be sure to head over to Sarah's blog this week! Her birthday is Friday and to celebrate, she is giving away two great charm packs, and there are lots of ways to earn yourself an entry. Check out that blog post here! Good luck :)

And just so this isn't a post without any pictures, here is Cullen at Halloween last year:

Swaps and a Giveaway!

2010-10-20T23:04:00.002-05:00

I have signed up for two swaps in the last couple days!

I am SUPER excited, as I have not yet participated in any. First, I signed up for the fourth round of the Pillow Talk { Swap } and I can not WAIT to get started! Here is my inspiration mosaic:
I am sure it probably seems all over the place to a PTS veteran, but I attempted to show styles and designs that interested me. I love bright colors, but as far as our home decor goes, we have mostly jewel tones... (Although I have already warned Shaine that a really awesome pillow may call for new curtains and wall hangings!) Truth be told, I haven't been sewing or quilting long enough for anything to be "old" or "outdated" to me yet anyway! Everything is new, interesting and amazing! (Whoever makes mine will be lucky, I am going to be easy to please!)

The second swap I signed up for was The Inchy Flower Swap. Each month you send to someone, and receive a 1 inch hexagon flower. Each month is a different person, so you are sure to have a WIDE variety of prints and designs when all is said and done! I better practice to make sure mine are up to par.

The giveaway I mentioned is at Green Fairy Quilts. This is one of my favorite online fabric shops, and the one I check first. They always have great deals and sales, and until Monday you have a chance to win a fat eighth bundle of Breakfast at Tiffany's (gasp!) or a $30 gift card to the online store (for the most referrals). I am sure I will not be able to refer too many people, but if you do happen to head that way, mention me :)

Fall fun!

2010-10-19T17:28:00.010-05:00

You know you have quilting on your mind when normal things remind you of something you want to try. Although I have been walking into this kitchen more times a day than I can count for almost a year, I never really noticed the tile...

Snowball blocks!
Also, Cullen has these super neat alphabet flashcards, and he likes to bring them to me so I can tell him what letter it is. This one made me giggle:

I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I can't think of THAT many words that begin with the letter Q and could be used in a flashcard like this. Either way, it made me smile!

It has been a busy weekend, but I am hoping to escape for a few hours tonight to get some sewing done. Shouldn't be a problem, since I took the kids out of the house to let Shaine have some uninterrupted guy time on our big screen for the football game. I did do two new applique shirts this weekend for our family trip to the pumpkin patch. I am horrible at remembering to take pictures BEFORE I put them on my kids, but you can sort of see them in this horrible iPhone picture.

Also, here are a few more pictures from the pumpkin patch

Hope everyone else is enjoying this season as much as we are!

Fun With Applique

2010-10-15T01:18:00.006-05:00

I still haven't found much time to finish any projects, and by that I mean I haven't even sat down at my sewing machine at all in exactly one week. I can physically feel the difference when I don't get to sit down and play with the sewing machine. Sewing and creating definitely keeps my blood pressure low! Since I have nothing new and fantastic to show, I thought I would share some quick but adorable applique I have done lately. I shared a picture of Cullen in his birthday shirt in my last post (I still kick myself that I didn't get a really good picture of the front and back before he spilled juice on it). Forgive me for the low quality pictures, I really need to find a better spot to take the pictures!

Anyway, last week I found some plain colored onesies in the closet that had been handed down to us for Aubree. Although in great condition and no stains, they were rather boring and the color a bit dull. I decided to dig out some scraps from the scrap cabinet (Yes, a whole cabinet!) and see what ideas I could come up with. First, the green onesie. I dug out some darker green batik scraps and made a stem with two leaves:

Aubree is going to be a flower for Halloween. I still have to make her headband and petals, but that shouldn't take too long! Well, that took me all of 10 minutes to do, including the stitching around the edges, so I grabbed the next one and decided to try a cute and fun design:

These are scraps from a baby blanket kit I had bought from Joanns before Aubree was born (a bad idea, since the satin unravelled through the seams after only a couple washes), and I made the "a" out of the busiest one, and used coordinating colors to mimic the designs in the main print. I absolutely love how it turned out, and she should fit it soon! I still have two more (a white and a darker pink), the white one I plan to do a cute fall/halloween themed one for our trip to the pumpkin patch this weekend. Cullen will also be getting a matching fall/halloween one as well! The best part of raw-edge applique is that you can use scraps that you already have to create something new and fantastic! Now, I just have to think about some cute ideas for their pumpkin patch shirts, and for Thanksgiving coming up! Any ideas?

Cullen's Birthday!

2010-10-11T15:34:00.009-05:00

I have some new things I have been working on, but have had no time to finish any, so unfortunately I have no crafty pictures to share right now!

What has kept me so busy? Well, my sister came to visit all last week, and Cullen's second birthday was on Friday. All week was spent going to the zoo, and getting stuff ready for his big party we had on Saturday. The party was a huge success, and he had a blast! I used raw edge applique to make him a cool birthday shirt: It had a 2 on the front and his name on the back!

My sister made him a cool Halloween themed "cupcake cake":

And he had lots of fun with all of his buddies:

Poor guy still got a bit of sunburn, even with SPF 50 slathered on! (And Nevaeh is wearing the pillowcase dress I made for her a few months ago!)

I still can't believe my little man is two! Shaine and I were looking at pictures from his first birthday, and just marveled at how much he has grown, and learned, since then.
He knows all of his shapes, colors, most of the animals and the sounds they make, and we are working on numbers and letters. He says "please" and "thankyou", gives his baby sister hugs and kisses all the time, and helps mommy every chance he gets. He is easily the best little boy I could have asked for. While I can't wait to see him grow and learn more, this is such a fun age that I just want him to stay where he's at for awhile longer!

Hopefully, now that things are settling down and returning to normal, I will be able to get some things done. I have a few WIPs, and lots of pretty new fabric I haven't even played with yet!

Finished Botany Quilt

2010-10-03T19:58:00.005-05:00

I know I promised these pictures days ago, but this has been a drill weekend, so Shaine has not been able to make it home before dark to help me hold it up and take a decent picture outside. I ran out to the backyard to snap this one before the sun went down.

It was made using this tutorial from Piece N Quilt. While I love my finished project, I now wish I hadn't opted out on the ric rac! I used contrasting brown thread to quilt, which looks cool on the brown back, but stands out a bit TOO much on the front. Ahhh well, I like it anyway, and it's staying here with us!

See? Aubree loves it already!

GREAT things going on!

2010-10-01T15:08:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I nearly died.

Ok, not really, but when I laid down to feed Aubree, and decided to check my email while doing so, I got an email that sure made me think I did! It was an email from Ariane, of Ariane's Crafts, telling me that I won a giveaway on her blog. Not just any giveaway, but THE giveaway! An Accuquilt Go! Cutter and three dies!

I immediately called my sister, and made her get on the computer to check Ariane's blog to make sure! I have entered a few Go! giveaways, but I never realistically expected to win one. I can't wait to try it out! The dies I chose are the rag quilt die (so I NEVER have to snip those edges again!), and the apple core, and the drunkards path. I chose those last two because they are ones that I absolutely love the look when they are done, but I have been too intimidated to try. To even be slightly off while cutting could cause serious headaches and waste!

I also finished the binding of the quilt I was working on in my last post. It is now all washed and crinkly, and I love it! It's the first quilt I actually used FMQ to make a DESIGN, not just stippling or wavy lines... well, attempted to, anyway ;) It's not perfect, but it is cute, the hubby even says its awesome, and I can't wait until I get better at FMQ and can compare my progress. Its a nice sunny day out, but as we have just recently had a bunch of fire ants moving into our yard, I don't want to set it down, even for a second, so when Shaine gets home I will go outside and take a nice picture to show it off. Next on my to-do list is to baste and -hopefully- finish Shaine's memory quilt by Sunday, so he can show it off at drill and maybe get a few people interested in one of their own!

Today also marks the kick off of the Fall into Fall Giveaway bash. If you haven't heard of it yet, you DEFINITELY need to check it out. Well over 100+ bloggers are hosting giveaways. If I had heard about it sooner, I would have tried to get some stuff together, maybe some FQs and embroidery floss. Hmmm... I'll save those for when I have some more followers I guess! Anyway, grab yourself a snack, something to drink, and get over there to see if any are ones you would be interested in entering!

Another great giveaway going on right now is over at Spun Sugar Quilts! She is celebrating her 600th post with a fabulous giveaway and 6 winners. Fat Quarters, charm packs, pincushions, magazines, patterns and more could be yours, so head over there to throw your name in!

Binding trick!

2010-09-29T00:03:00.004-05:00

Now, I am sure I am not the first to think of this and do it, I have seen pictures of people using the leg of their extension table to do essentially the same thing... However, my extension table doesn't have a leg on the front right side, and I never thought of another way to do it. When dealing with a larger quilt, my binding tends to sort of pile up and as a result the nice fold I ironed into it gets messed up and its hard to keep it straight and even while sewing. So, while ironing the binding I prepared for this quilt, a light bulb went off! I had an empty spool that I saved for some reason... I grabbed it and started wrapping it and secured it with a pin as I continued to iron, and roll... iron, and roll.

Then, when I started sewing, I took the pin out, and slowly started to unroll it. Maybe the heat from the iron helped it, but it stayed nice and pressed, and was much easier to handle!

Plus, I even knocked it off the table a few times, and it barely unrolled at all. This will help immensely, because now I can prepare my binding when I prepare and press everything else, and keep it nice and rolled while I do the quilt top and quilting and it will still be pressed and ready when I need it!

New goodies and giveaways!

2010-09-24T16:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday the mailman left these in the box for me:

I ordered them from Green Fairy Quilts, on Monday NIGHT, and they were in my mailbox on Thursday! The shop has GREAT prices and even better sales (the layer cake, charm pack, and shipping was less than 25$!), and the fact that it got here so fast makes it even better! I am not sure what I will do with them yet, but I love the charm pack colors and flowers, and may use them in a baby quilt. The colors in the layer cake match the living room decor quite well, also!

We are also sort of last minute planning Cullen's upcoming 2nd birthday party. It is in two weeks, which may not be THAT last minute, but I feel like invitations should have been sent out two weeks ago! It won't be too fancy, pizza and cake here at the house, but we are renting an inflatable jump house (40$ a day through the MWR!) and we have lots of water balloons that we never used this summer, so it should be a fun day. I am even thinking of maybe finding a little pinata ;)

Here are two more Accuquilt Go! giveaways, also:

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts (ending Friday!)

Millie's Quilting (ending Saturday!)

OH how I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get my hands on one :) I keep crossing my fingers that one day that lovely random generator site will favor ME ;)

Chaos!

2010-09-22T13:05:00.006-05:00

It has been so long since I have been able to even SIT at my sewing machine, let alone actually ACCOMPLISH anything.... All I know is that it has been at least a week, and I can actually FEEL the difference :( I am not sure how other moms find the time! Of course, I am sure it gets easier as they get older and a bit more independent, but as it is they are both on completely different schedules, Cullen goes down for his nap and little miss Aubree decides thats a perfect time to be awake and trying out her lungs. And, of course, Shaine is able to do all his usual activities, and still find time to go out once or twice a week. It's hard not to get agitated! Even when he tries to be helpful, and offers to keep them occupied, it doesn't work because within 15 minutes, he is upstairs handing me the little one because she is hungry. *sigh* Oh, and my BM isn't regulated completely yet, so any time I miss a feeding it hurts. Ah well, I can't complain too much, I have already shed the baby weight and then some.

The irony of this, though is that Cullen JUST fell asleep, and Aubree is still sleeping in her swing. Hmmm time to go play with fabric until she wakes up!

And, since this post has been more of just a rant, I'll close it with some pictures that made me laugh this week:

Cullen trying on some snowboots!

And poor Aubree, this is how they fell asleep, her face in daddy's armpit after a day at work, and an evening cooking dinner on the grill!

A little preoccupied...

2010-09-18T23:35:00.007-05:00

It is so hard to believe that it has already been TWO WEEKS since our little Aubree arrived.

Cullen has adapted quite well, and asks to hold her alot. I have to take lots of little "Mommy and Cullen" breaks throughout the day or he gets a little rambunctious, but I like that he now wants to be held and cuddled again!

I haven't gotten a whole lot of sewing done (obviously!), but I have ALMOST finished a quilt top for a Christmas lap quilt I am making, and a little dress for a friend's daughter who will be two in two weeks. Pictures will come soon!

Meanwhile, I am participating in the Brown Bag Quilt Contest, and I finally settled on my fabric choices to send off, so Monday I will be heading to the post office to mail it off to Canada :) How exciting :)

Welcome Aubree!

2010-09-05T21:27:00.006-05:00

Well, Aubree Cadence is finally here, and although we have been home since yesterday afternoon I just haven't felt like being on the computer much. It was a rather quick and uneventful labor (in fact, I slept through most of it once they gave me some IV meds!) and she was born at 12:40pm on Friday.

Cullen didn't quite know what to think of her at first, resorting instead to being loud and rambunctious... He's still in a show-off mood most of the time, but he's very gentle and caring. If she fusses he goes over and says "Hey! Hey Baby! Shhh!" and pats her belly.

Although Shaine shrugged it off when I told him the other day she would have him wrapped around her finger, he is completely enamored with her.

She looks so much like Cullen did (only a bit chubbier) that all I can think of is how fast she is going to grow!

T-shirt Memory Quilt

2010-09-01T16:14:00.003-05:00

This is the top I pieced together out of Shaine's old army t-shirts (and one of mine that snuck in there!), and some old uniforms that were torn:

When I first asked him for the shirts to make him a memory quilt, he said "What would we do with it?" And when I explained that it would be around the house and he could take it with him for training, and that it also serves as a show-off piece (the desert camouflage, for example, hasn't been issued for a long time, and shows that he deployed in the first waves, the jungle camouflage started getting phased out in 2005, and he has the digital ACUs as well), and then he really started getting into it! When I sketched it out as far as which squares would go where, he actually had input, and the uniforms were his idea and he chose where each one would go. I am going to applique a few of his more important patches onto it, and back it with some simple black flannel, and do some straight-line in the ditch quilting lines. Shouldn't take too long to finish! I love that he likes it so much!

Want a Go!?

2010-08-30T13:56:00.001-05:00

Ryan has opened submissions for the Accuquilt GO! giveaway he is hosting.... You can have up to 5 chances for this one! Good luck!

Go HERE to enter!

Pincushion!

2010-08-29T15:12:00.005-05:00

I took the scraps and selvages leftover from my table runner and made a cute little pincushion out of them:

It was my first time sewing selvages, and apparently I didn't overlap some of them far enough, as some came loose when I stuffed it. Oh well, just an excuse to make a second one, right!?
The first one measures about 5in square, and the second one a little smaller at 4in. I stuffed them with polyester fiber fill, because that's what I had. They're a little lightweight, but I like them. :)

Go! and enter this giveaway!

2010-08-28T22:57:00.002-05:00

Sherri from A Quilting Life is hosting an Accuquilt Go! giveaway!! How amazing is that? It seems there are alot of these going on lately, Heather at A La Mode Fabric just ended hers, and Ryan (I'm just a guy who quilts) is opening his on Monday! As much as I love getting the extra chance by blogging, I also realize it could LOWER my chances as well, but I figure I don't have alot of followers (all THREE of you ♥), so it shouldn't hurt much! I spent about 20 minutes earlier showing Shaine youtube videos of how it works and why it would be a great tool to have, but at this point in my quilting, there is absolutely no way I could justify buying it! I wish I had a bunch of trustworthy friends that live close and quilt, so we could maybe all go in together! Ah well, maybe in a few years I will make some really good ones, get some commissions, and then I could convince Shaine I NEED one!

Anyway, this one is open until Sept 2nd, and the winner will be announced on the 3rd (The day my daughter is supposed to be born! Maybe it's a sign!), so head on over and try your luck!

This made my day!

2010-08-28T16:55:00.006-05:00

I finally got some pictures of my longtime friend's daughter for whom I had made some skirts and a dress for awhile back. She sent me these today after some technical difficulty with her computer, and they certainly put a smile on my face :)She just looks so happy in all of them! This one has to be my favorite though:

Her mom says she just keeps spinning every time she wears it!

Fabric joke and a finished project

2010-08-27T18:58:00.006-05:00

Well, I am in "any day now" territory, and scheduled to induce a week from today, on Sept 3rd if she doesn't choose to come sooner. All of my symptoms have gotten much worse the last few days, as well, so I haven't been doing much of anything except rest. I did sandwich and quilt the botany quilt top I had finished awhile ago, but I haven't put the binding on yet.

I did make this table runner, though, and finished it today:

And the other side:

The fabric is Blessings by Brannock and Patek for Moda. I don't even remember if I had mentioned it before or not, but I bought a scrap bag, and it was mostly Blessings, with a few solids. At first, I was a bit disappointed, as it wasn't a collection I would have purchased on my own, but then decided it would make a nice table runner for our kitchen. Now I want to buy some yardage of two of the prints and make coordinating curtains, especially since Shaine makes fun of the country chicken ones I put up ;)

Now time to start on Shaine's Army Memory quilt :) THAT'S one I am really excited about! I will end the post with this joke I got in my email box today that made me giggle:

Buying Fabric
Walking up to a department store's fabric counter, a pretty girl asked, "I want to buy this material for a new dress. How much does it cost?"

"Only one kiss per yard, " replied the smirking male clerk.

"That's fine," replied the girl. "I'll take ten yards."

With expectation and anticipation written all over his face, the clerk hurriedly measured out and wrapped the cloth, then held it out teasingly.

The girl snapped up the package and pointed to a little old man standing beside her. "Grandpa will pay the bill," she smiled.

Baby Blanket

2010-08-19T13:56:00.005-05:00

I whipped this up yesterday during naptime for Cullen's newest little cousin!

I did some hand embroidery around the letters to make sure that the Heat N Bond would stay on through a baby pulling on it and the wash, etc. I know it SAYS permanent, but it was already seeming to peel, I guess it doesn't hold on flannel as well as regular cotton fabric!

I used this tutorial from Piece N Quilt, and it was SOOO easy to follow and make. I think the actual cutting took longer than the sewing, since I have such a small cutting mat. I even made a matching burp rag/towel this morning in less than ten minutes.

I also recently found out my little sister is expecting her first child! It is my first niece and Cullen's first cousin on my side of the family. She's only a couple weeks (well, she thinks she's only about a month... I am betting she's a bit farther along than she thinks...). It was quite funny when she told me. She tends to ramble on the phone, and I tend to --accidentally-- tune out sometimes.... All of a sudden I heard "I'm pregnant". She's said that before when she knows I'm zoning out to test me. So I said "No you're not," and she started crying! I felt so bad, and said "You're for real this time? I thought you were just testing me!" And then she started laughing while still crying.... I told her "Whoa, two pregnant chicks on the phone, we need to decide if we are laughing or crying because that's too many emotions for one phone call." Anyway, her husband is thrilled, and she's adjusting to the idea. I can't wait to find out what she is having and make lots of goodies for her!

Big Things This Way!

2010-08-15T23:41:00.004-05:00

First of all, Cullen has a new little cousin on the way! Shaine's cousin's wife (confusing, maybe?) is in labor at the moment, and little Liam will be here soon! I am going to try my hand at some embroidery to put his name on a little blanket I want to make for him. I will hopefully have that to show in the next few days. I certainly have enough embroidery floss to choose from:

Also, I finally went ahead and opened an etsy shop! There isn't much in there yet, but hopefully will be someday soon, I seem to have been bitten by the sewing bug and have LOTS of plans/ideas in my head!

Lastly, 44th Street Fabric is having ANOTHER giveaway! How awesome is that? And this time there will be two winners, one receiving 2 Lily & Will charm packs and a quilt pattern, and the other receiving 2 Fandango charm packs and a quilt pattern (thats the one I am hoping for!). Get over there for your chance(s) to win, and good luck!

Finished Baby Quilt

2010-08-14T15:51:00.006-05:00

I finished the binding on this baby quilt this morning:

It is one made for my old roommate during our Iraq deployment, who just had her second little girl. She wanted something pink and brown, feminine, but not TOO girly. I think I accomplished that. She says she loves it!

I used moda marbles for the sashing, and the backing is by Deb Strain, although I can't remember off the top of my head which collection! The fabrics in the squares came from a mini-FQ-bundle I had in my stash for while. Although I didn't like piecing the blocks together, and wasn't completely happy with the way they turned out before, now that they are put together, I really am happy with the overall product!

Some more finished stuff and a giveaway with a CAUSE!

2010-08-10T09:32:00.009-05:00

So I finished the last two Halloween totes... I played around a bit with the measurements on each one, so they aren't all COMPLETELY identical.And here are all three:
And my niece got the dress I made for her yesterday to celebrate her first day of preschool and she loves it! I am just so glad it fits (it ended up a little longer than I intended but thats okay), since it was a surprise, I couldn't just ask her measurements, and living several states away makes it hard to get them on the sly. Here she is enjoying her dress:

Okay, so usually I only blog about giveaways I enter that I REALLY want to win.... This time, (although I would really love to win the charm packs) it is more about loving what she's doing. Jennifer is having a giveaway here for THREE charm packs and a pattern.... but what I find more impressive is that she is also training to participate in the Nike Women's Marathon coming up VERY soon in San Francisco, benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society... Her info and support page is HERE. I am waiting until Shaine gets home to see if we can spare a little more to donate, but seeing as how we already donated to support my old Army friend, Reinalyn, who is preparing for the same race, he may say no.

Trick or Treat Bag! (and in just one naptime!)

2010-08-07T17:45:00.006-05:00

So I finally got around to making the trick or treat bag I said I was going to! Here it is all finished:
(I know I still gotta work on finding some beautiful background spot for showcasing my finished projects!)

There are TWO great things about this bag.... 1- I made it with the Halloween Night fabric I won in a giveaway at 44th Street Fabric and some leftover black linen I had from the laptop bag I made my sister (which means I didn't SPEND anything!)... and 2- I finished it all except the top stitching around the top during one naptime!

I am going to make two more, each using a different print of the Halloween Night fabric, one for each of Cullen's little friends, since we are planning on taking them all trick or treating together.
Cullen likes it (sorry the picture is so dark! Probably better that way, since as you can see the room is still "under construction" and getting ready for the new baby, so its a bit of a mess!) It's the perfect size for him to be able to carry around, especially since there's still another three months to go :)

Here is an in progress picture that I took, you can sort of see the angled wavy lines I did for the quilting. I used flannel in place of batting, simply because the only batting I had on hand was super puffy extra loft, and I like how flannel still allows the bags I make to be "quilted" and flexible, without being TOO flimsy (like the first pieced bag I did, with only super light interfacing).The "C" is raw edge applique, and was supposed to be "drippy" (think the old titles of the Goosebumps books), but I am not 100% pleased with how it turned out, but after fusing it on, and stitching it, I decided to stick with it. Anyway, as always, the first one is a "test run", and I made a few mistakes while "flattening" the bottom, but it still works, and only other "crafters" would ever notice. I know what I did wrong, though, so the next two will be perfect. I am really pleased all my measurements worked out, since I sketched it all up this morning on the sketch pad I FINALLY bought myself. I also sketched out the layout and measurements for the I Spy quilt I want to make. Who knew it would be so hard finding diverse scraps worthy of an I Spy Quilt??

Post office?! (+a giveaway!)

2010-07-31T15:38:00.002-05:00

So I FINALLY made it out to the post office to mail some projects/gifts/requests that had been waiting around to be mailed (Including the rag quilt for my sister that had been looking mighty nice draped over my couch.... I definitely need to make one for my living room now!), and I experienced a bit of shock over how much it costs to ship stuff, even regular ground mail (non-priority). After HAVING to buy the "cushioned mailer" envelope because they didn't have ANY of the plain ones in stock, and then paying for postage I paid nearly 5$ each for two packages that each weighed .75oz... and almost 11$ to mail the box with the quilt (which was what I expected there). Am I doing something wrong? What is the secret to affordable postage/shipping?? Flat rate boxes and envelopes? Buying the envelopes elsewhere? Help!

Also, another giveaway I found that sparked my interest, and should spark yours as well! They are giving away a quilting book, four FQs, and a charm pack of Bella solids at Stash Manicure. Hurry on over for your chance to win these great goodies, I'm sure crossing my fingers!

Christmas in July!

2010-07-29T20:09:00.018-05:00

I am signed up to partake in the Christmas in July Blitz over at Monkey Dog Quilts, to work on Christmas-y projects for people on our list (I could use the time and headstart, that's for sure!) Well, we are supposed to post updates and progress every Thursday, so here goes :)

This is the laptop bag I am making for my sister. I know, I know, it's not a CHRISTMAS project, but its the only thing I have been able to work on lately. It is all finished now but the picture is from before I put it all together:

My first try doing a zipper pocket... You can see it's puckered a little bit, but since it's on the inside, I am not too worried about it ;) I can not for the life of me find "carbine hooks" for the straps ANYWHERE... Michael's had ONE, and Walmart, Joann's, Hancock's, and Hobby Lobby didn't have any... So, I haven't done the strap yet. I might just do a simple one with bias tape, like the tutorial does, and then if/when I ever find the hooks I can make one, send it to her, and she can cut the other one off.

What I DID do that was Christmas related, however, is I decided on what to do with my Fruitcake jelly roll! I am going to make a Christmas quilt, inspired a little bit by this tutorial at MBS, and of course make it more Christmas-y... I bet you can figure out my plans already! So I apologize for not having any Christmassy pictures to show, but that is some PROGRESS, right?

And on a non-Christmas related note, I am now almost 35 weeks, and the doctor has taken me off of the bedrest (ha, like I really got any rest as a SAHM to an almost two year old and two big dogs!) and says if the labor happens now, they won't stop it. Honestly, I am terrified! Yesterday was one of those days where everything was irritating me (and it was all stuff that would have whether I was pregnant or not, the hormones just made it far worse), and I just keep thinking how if sometimes just ONE child tries my patience in such a hard way, what am I going to do when I have two and both are in monstermode?

34 weeks with Aubree:
I AM ready to get my body back, however! I am hoping the weight loss this time will go like it did last time! My weight GAIN is just about the same for both, although I think I am at just a little bit less right now than I had gained at the same point with Cullen... 35 weeks with Cullen:
My pre-pregnancy weight was the EXACT same (based on first dr visit, both at about 6 weeks along) for each (163), and I was 185 at Cullen's birth (and 145 a week later!!) so I put on 22 lbs, and most of that was literally THE last week--coincidentally also when the stretch marks *gasp!* showed up.. I am at 174 according to the Doc's scale on Tuesday. To those who think that isn't enough, please understand that I had weight to lose in the beginning (I SHOULD be between 140-155 lbs for my height and muscle content), and horrible morning sickness the first SIX months last time, and FOUR this time! I had an Ultrasound on Tuesday as well, to check on the baby (last time around I had an emergency one at 30 weeks because I had only put on 6 lbs at that point, they were worried he wasn't growing), and she's head down and nearly 6 lbs already. They are estimating she will be around 8.5lbs at birth if I go to full term, which is more than a whole pound more than Cullen, who was 7lb 4oz! (I was 8lb 10oz, my poor mom!) Either way, I don't think I will make it past Mid August... Due date is Sept 5, my stepmom is betting on this Saturday (yikes! we are not ready for THAT soon!) and everyone else has scattered their bets throughout August/early Sept. Anyone want to put their vote in?

Friday Night Sew-in

2010-07-24T10:10:00.001-05:00

Well, since Shaine had his wisdom tooth pulled yesterday, he was a bit out of it, so after Cullen went to bed, I actually had the night to myself! I didn't get a whole lot done, as I was having some tension issues with my machine (I am thinking it was the thread, since that was the only thing different)...

I did manage to put this together for my friend's little girl though:

I am unhappy with the look of the ribbon straps though, so I am going to make a fabric one today. I sent her a picture already, though, and she loves it, which makes me happy :)

Today I am going to try my hand at a laptop bag, and I am generally using THIS tutorial to do so, with just minor changes. My sister FINALLY re-enrolled herself for college, so I am making her the laptop/book bag as a gift.

And to those who would like a giggle to start off the day (or afternoon, evening, whatever it is when you read this), here is a video I recorded of Shaine while the anesthesia still had its grips on him! He was trying to tell me why it would be okay for him to drive instead of me!

I'm still around!

2010-07-23T11:22:00.011-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted! Things have been hectic lately: out of town visitors, doctor's appointments, playdates, and now Shaine is getting his wisdom teeth pulled today! Poor baby... I know he is not going to take it well. I tell him it's a good thing he only gets sick once or twice a year, because the moment he experiences the slightest pain, sickness, or discomfort he turns into a big baby!

I have managed to get a few things done in the last 11 days:

A purse for my stepmother. This one is SO much better than my last one! I also used a thicker interfacing so it's still a "fabric" purse, but alot less flimsy! I even tried my hand with a zipper for the first time, and I made this:

Then, I decided to finally try something I had been eyeing over at Moda Bake shop, and I made these using this tutorial:The first picture is brighter because we finally got a new digital camera, so I don't have to take all the pictures with my phone! Anyway, Aubree's was the first time I tried free motion quilting, and I did just wavy lines. Aniya's I tried a wandering "pattern". I didn't draw it out first either time, and I'm sure some of you more experienced quilters can tell, but I still absolutely love both, and am really proud of them for a "first try". I can't wait to keep making stuff to get better at it! I still have to work on seam allowances, apparently, because it ended up being a bit smaller than it was supposed to be :/ I am hoping to have them finished up in the next week or so, but I have lots of other stuff going on.

I also won another giveaway at 44th Street Fabric! Great Halloween Night fabric (and Bev is doing another AMAZING giveaway right now, too!):

I think I may just have to make some cute "trick or treat" tote bags for Cullen and his friends, since this year he will be able to get into it alot more! He was a zebra for Halloween last year, but we didn't go trick or treating, he just helped pass out candy to the kids that came by... At 12 months old, he didn't need the candy, and neither did mommie!

Awesome giveaway :)

2010-07-12T16:34:00.006-05:00

It still doesn't cease to amaze me how much generosity some people show with their giveaways! I know sometimes it is from a third party/sponsor, but often times it is precious fabric yardage, scraps, FQs, etc from that person's own beloved stash! One of the great blogs I follow, Little Miss Shabby, is having a giveaway with lots of little scraps from Swell by Urban Chiks. Hurry on over to enter before this Saturday!!
--------------------------------------
Meanwhile, the hubby and the boy came home last night! It's so good to have my little man back, even though it took until noon for him to give his mama some kisses! I can tell he was spoiled by all the family in Michigan, because his patience level is now zero. Where I used to say "Wait" or "Hold on" while getting him a snack, drink, etc... he used to put his hand down and wait patiently. Now it's an all out tantrum. *sigh* He'll learn soon enough that doesn't work when he realizes that while he throws himself on the floor whatever he wanted got put away!

I made a nursing cover for my friend this week:

And also finally finished putting together the rag quilt squares for my sister's quilt:

Still need to fray it... I only cut a few inches along one edge and already got bored. I can tell this will take me awhile LOL! I will have to find a good movie on TV, wait for Cullen to get to sleep, and get to town! (And yes I did buy spring scissors!)

That reminds me of a funny story that happened to me yesterday. I was nearly out of the thread color I used for Chelsey's quilt, so slightly before noon I grabbed the almost-empty-spool of thread and headed over to Hancock's, as it is rather close to the house. Well, they didn't open until noon, and with Walmart just across the street, I didn't want to wait in my hot car for 20 minutes. Went to Walmart, saw the spring scissors I need, one pair for 10.99, and another larger kind for 15.99, but nothing even close to the thread color I needed (even though I originally got it there!). Back to Hancocks. Walked in, found the thread, looked for the scissors and realized that the exact same brand/type/style EVERYTHING for each pair was 15.99 and 21.99, respectively. Now, I am not a huge cheapskate or anything, but 5$ extra for the exact same thing? I put the thread back on its shelf, and headed out to try a different Walmart (we have 3 within a 2 mile radius). It wasn't until I got to that Walmart, and grabbed the almost-empty-spool of thread that I realized I put the wrong one back!
I inadvertently just STOLE a spool of thread!
I felt embarrassed and a bit humiliated, so after I ran a few more errands I went back and paid for it. I believe what goes around comes around, and I need all the good karma I can get!

My first bag!

2010-07-08T09:53:00.006-05:00

So I finally broke into the Moda Freebird Charm pack I won. I had been planning to use it to make a bag/purse, but just didn't know what I wanted to do. I love following tutorials, and I think it's amazing that people are nice enough to take their time to show beginners like me how to make great things. For a long time, I had this tutorial from MBS open in an extra tab, planning to use the charms to make that bag, but decided that it didn't completely fit what I had in mind... So, while I was debating about it, I happened to find an old purse of mine in the garage:

I bought it in Chinatown in San Francisco back in 2005, and as you can see, it was VERY well loved and well used for a long time! So, without actually FOLLOWING the tutorial, I took ideas from that purse (the pieced top and placement of the straps), and ideas from the Chinatown purse (the solid border and more "rectangle-ish" look) and voila!- this came together:

It is definitely FAR from perfect, but I absolutely love how it came out, and since it is just for me the imperfections are okay. I love tutorials, but sometimes its even better to just sketch out some ideas, work out some measurements, fly by the seat of your pants, and see what comes of it! A very small part of me wishes I had used some.... less loved.... fabric, and not immediately used the charm pack, but there is still about half leftover for something else... Hmm Maybe a matching coupon clutch? Those are so fun to make!

I did learn a few things I will have to remember for the next bag I make, however:

I need stronger/thicker interfacing. I thought it would be okay since it worked so well for the coupon clutch, but I guess because of the way it was folded, it already was much thicker than this simple tote.
I need a new technique for the straps (probably SHOULD have followed the tutorial for that part, the way it is done there is much easier, and would have come out much nicer, but I wanted to use fewer charms)
Stronger fabric for the interior lining. I used a pale yellow from my stash that coordinates with the exterior beautifully, but I am worried that it is so thin, that even my keys might one day poke a hole in the bag.
The brown I used for the borders is from Moda Marbles, and I absolutely love it! It came in a box from Heidi (from Handmade by Heidi) when she was giving away loads of fabric and scraps when she was getting ready to move. I only have scraps of the brown left now, but I do have lots of blue on the shelf. I love how great patterned fabrics look mixed with solids, but I just don't like buying solids alot. The marbles, to me, are a great alternative! You still get the one color, but with some illusion of texture!

There were some other things when I was thinking about it in my head last night, but of course I can't remember now! Oh, and -once again- I apologize for the picture quality... Best I can do right now, but SUNDAY Shaine comes home with the new digital camera he bought. Did I mention that he broke my old one (the one who had been through a deployment, a pregnancy, cross country move, and the birth and first 18 months of my sons life). I was quite partial to it, after more than two years, desert, sand, and international trips, it still worked great, held a charge for a long time, and had GREAT picture quality (12MP). Somehow Shaine thought it would be a good idea to put it in his checked baggage-- the big duffel bag with all his shoes, clothes, and random uniform items-- on his way back from Italy. The conversation when he got home and turned it on to try to show me the pictures was actually quite amusing...

Shaine-- "Babe, I think you're going to be mad at me?"
Me-- "Why is that?"
Shaine-- "Because I think I broke your camera..."
Me-- "Oh no, sad, but not mad, because now you get to buy me a new one!"

That was about a month ago, and we would have gotten a new one sooner, but Shaine graciously allowed me to switch around our "wishlist" priorities so that I got my sewing machine sooner. Until he gets home though, we have to settle for iphone pictures. Now, I just have to find some beautifully scenic area in my house/yard that I can display things when I take pictures.... It seems all of you bloggers live in houses that look like they came out of magazines! I see beautiful furniture, hardwood floors, fabulous decorations, amazing patios, green GRASS (we just have weeds. It's green, at least, and better than the dirt patch we had for a back yard a few weeks ago, but still mostly weeds). I'm jealous of you all!

RIP AJ Creighton...

2010-07-05T13:00:00.004-05:00

I am so sad to be typing this now, but I need a bit of an outlet, so here goes. I just got word not long ago that we have lost yet another friend and soldier in Afghanistan yesterday.... On Independence Day. It is hitting me harder than usual because this is somebody with whom I had a falling out long ago, and never fully mended the fences. I should have known better, since losing friends and coworkers over there is nothing new to me, and hasn't been for years, so I am having a really hard time accepting that he's really gone now and I fell into the trap of thinking "there is always time."

Military or not, if there is someone you have yet to resolve an issue with, don't think that there is still time. Regardless of who is "at fault" take the time to smooth things over. You never know what might happen before you do.

Rest in Peace, AJ. You will be deeply missed by many, and forever remembered by all for your sacrifice.

Halloween Nights!!

2010-07-05T10:20:00.003-05:00

I have been drooling over this fabric since I saw it for the first time about two weeks ago. Shaine says its too early to order Halloween fabric ;) HOWEVER, Bev from 44th Street Fabric is offering a giveaway, with two winners! One winner gets two yards of fabric from the collection, and another winner gets two charm packs! How awesome is that? Hurry on over to try your luck!

I probably shouldn't be greedy, since I won a giveaway there barely more than a week ago, but I just couldn't resist!

Pillowcase dresses

2010-07-04T14:02:00.007-05:00

I have been scouring various patterns and tutorials for weeks of little girl clothes and dresses, trying to find something rather easy and simple to get myself started. Here is the first one I did:
And it was so fast to put together that I was hooked! I then used this tutorial from The Polka Dot Chair (tons of amazing tutorials for all kinds of things on her blog!) and made a few small changes and came up with this:
It was a bit harder than the first one, but I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! I loved the middle fabric SO much, that I went on and made another simple one out of it:This one I am going to hang onto for my little girl. Of course it will be awhile before she can fit into it (It is probably about a 24m-2T in size, although with the ribbon for straps it could last longer. I used a 24m tank top of Cullen's to kind of get a size idea.) I used double fold bias tape (store bought... I just didn't feel like making it!) for the arm holes and the bottom trim, and used an orange thread to do a decorative stitch on top of it, rather than the typical matching straight stitching. I absolutely love it!

I also finished compiling the fabrics for my sisters rag quilt, and cut out a TON of squares. Hopefully I will make a dent in some of the sandwiches I need to make today!

And today is day 2 without my little man! I am enjoying the peace and quiet, but its so weird. I have never spent more than a night away from him at one time. He is having a blast though! Went to see fireworks last night, played on a trampoline, and just been hanging out with TONS of family :) I will end the post with this great picture Shaine sent me yesterday :)

New Sewing Machine! (And a few new giveaways!)

2010-06-29T16:19:00.008-05:00

Well, just after my last post, my sewing machine decided to take a dive... The shuttle thingy (excuse me for not knowing proper terms!) that spins around to pick up the bobbin string no longer spins. I am sure it is an easy fix, but above my head. The ironic thing is that while I was trying to peek and see if I could fix it myself, I realized what the problem was with my bobbin tension the last few weeks! Anyway, considering the sewing machine cost me less than 100$ to begin with, and I still need to buy the 25$ walker foot to fit it, I am sure you can guess that I am not exactly jumping to pay for servicing/repair. I had been hinting at Shaine that I wanted a new sewing machine anyway, and I have seen tons of good reviews on the Brother CS6000i sewing machine. It's inexpensive, COMES WITH the walker foot-- as well as several other nifty feet and accessories, and an extension table, and all for 153$ when all was said, done, and totalled up! I don't need a super fancy several hundred dollar machine, and probably won't for a long time, if ever, and if all the 900+ reviews speak truth, this machine is good for basic quilting and will last me a long time. I sure hope so! If any of you have used this machine, please let me know! Either way I am POSITIVE it will be MUCH better than the Singer Inspiration 4205 that I impulse bought two years ago without any research. Don't get me wrong, it did what I wanted it to do, but for a little bit larger of an investment I could have had much more!

So, since Shaine and Little Man are leaving me for TEN WHOLE DAYS on Friday (is it wrong to be excited about some alone time?!), I told Shaine I NEEDED the new machine before he left. Well, we ordered it last night, and it is supposed to be here tomorrow. I am so excited! I can not wait! I have some great ideas for new crafts, and can't wait to post them when they are finished!

The charm pack I won from Bev at 44th Street Fabric came in the mail yesterday! It is Freebird, by MoMo for Moda. So cute, and I could not be more excited! I am thinking a cute tote/purse? Maybe a matching clutch too!

Anyway, until I get my new machine and some new projects underway, here are a couple great giveaways I have found lately.... Be sure to check out the blogs themselves, too, lots of great stuff there!

Fabric to make a replica of the really awesome bag she has a tutorial for at That's Sew Mandy
Six gorgeous fat quarters at Jewel's Arm Candy
Quilt kit, pattern and fabric from Moda's Blush line (Soooo pretty!) at Stash Manicure
Fantastic giveaway with TEN prizes and winners at Portland Modern Quilt Guild!

Good Luck!

What I get done when the hubs is gone...

2010-06-26T10:42:00.007-05:00

Usually it isn't much, but I have seen some great tutorials lately that I just had to try!

First, it was the Magic Baby Quilt I found over at Piece N Quilt. I used the Botany Jelly Roll that I still hadn't decided what to do with it. I still have to add a border (I plan on doing mine a bit different than the tutorial, but I just haven't decided yet), then of course quilt and bind it, but here it is so far:

Then with the leftover strip pieces, I made this coupon clutch on MBS by Julie of Jaybird Quilts. It was SO easy, and fun to make. I am making another one to send to my sister :)

And speaking of my sister, she just started her new job at the bakery about two weeks ago, as a cupcake maker. She asked me to make her an apron, because she didn't want to pay 20-25$ for something I could make for alot less. Here is what I threw together yesterday:

That's an applique I did of a cupcake on the bottom right. Not the greatest, but it was my first attempt, and it was freehand (no pattern or stencil). She saw the picture this morning and loves it! She wants me to make her a skirt with the same fabrics LOL (I planned on making a reverse second apron for her in case she loses one, the dogs get it, forgets to wash it, etc, with the blue as the main part, and the pretty brown batik for the borders!)

The last week or so...

2010-06-21T12:46:00.006-05:00

It has been such a busy week that I haven't even popped on to do more than just check up on everyone else's blogs! I have, however, gotten a bit done outside of the internet ;) I finished the blocks for a new pattern I tried (found at Quilter's Cache). It is my first attempt at paper piecing, and looking at the finished blocks I wish I had chosen more contrasting fabrics, but I think it will still look nice overall. I am going to add some brown sashing, and then have yet to decide how I am going to do the outer border and backing, so until I do I need to decide on which layout:

Option A:

Option B:
I also found the PERFECT way to use the Botany Jelly Roll I have been holding onto. I am not one to resist the urge of cutting into fabrics because they are too cute or too pretty... in fact, it's the opposite! I can't WAIT to find the perfect idea or inspiration to cut into them! I am starting on this one as soon as I publish this post, so expect pictures soon!

I am also super excited because the first thing I found out this morning is that I won a giveaway at 44th Street Fabric for a charm pack! I am not sure which one, as there were 7 charm packs, and 7 winners, so it will be a great surprise when it gets here in the mail! If you haven't heard already, there is another giveaway that just started, with 2 winners receiving 5 different 1.2 yard cuts of beautiful Rural Jardin fabric by French General. I feel like it would anger the Fabric Giveaway Gods by entering so soon after winning one, so I will be sitting this one out!

Also in the mail on its way to me is some fabric Heidi was giving away free to anyone willing to pay the postage. What a great thing for her to do, right? I am waiting on Box 2, and can't wait to see the Halloween and Christmas fabrics, as I have been pestering the manbeast that I want to make a BIG quilt for Christmas!

My own little space!

2010-06-12T23:41:00.002-05:00

So, Shaine decided I could use our "Computer area" in our room and convert it to my "Sewing area". We never used that computer--or the desk-- for anything anyway. I cleared out the computer and moved all my stuff from the kitchen to the bedroom about two weeks ago, after I finished piecing the top of the circle quilt together, but until tonight it has looked like this (and sometimes worse):

However, I finally tonight got some peace and quiet and felt like organizing! It's not like I had a ton to work with anyway, as you can see. I did take the messy tupperware bucket of fabric and get it all out, folded nicely, and semi-color sorted, as well as got all the scraps organized.

It's not much, but I am actually quite proud of it. Growing up with two sisters, stepsister, and often times a cousin or two living in the same house doesn't equate to much private space. Then, joining the military does away with any idea of a private room or area for awhile. Now, I am lucky to even use the restroom in peace without my toddler barging in haha... So even though this is in OUR bedroom, it is still "my space." Who knows, maybe when we finally buy a house, we will have a spare bedroom again and then it can really be "mine."

In other news, I finished the handquilting on the circle quilt. Was hoping to get the binding done tonight, but one of our military friends who just returned from Afghanistan is spending a few days with us. I didn't think he would be here until tomorrow sometime, but he apparently broke a few speed limits because he's already here! Maybe I will be able to CUT the binding ;)

Giveaway again :)

2010-06-11T17:51:00.004-05:00

It is so great of some of these bloggers to do these giveaways! Maybe one day I will be able to do the same!

Michigan Quilts Giveaway--- ziploc bag with lots of 3" squares (and they look well coordinated already!) and the book Quilts, Coverlets, Rugs and Samplers by Robert Bishop

Another giveaway and progress

2010-06-10T14:46:00.006-05:00

So, I decided to take out the horrible attempt at machine quilting and just hand quilt the circle quilt. It is taking me a long time, since it isn't easy to do with a toddler running around, but it's SO WORTH IT! I love how it is coming out, and I can't wait to finish it all up!

Since I have been handquilting (and find it a bit therapeutic) I told Shaine I can wait on the walker foot, and since I did that, he let me pick out a Jelly Roll for a new quilt idea :) I picked Botany, and found one on sale for 18$ :) I can't wait for it to get here!

I also told him I am not feeling up to flying to Michigan next month after all. He is a little bummed about it, but it will save us a lot of money, and I told him to take Cullen with him. Is it bad that my son isn't even two and I am already looking forward to a week of peace and quiet?? Think of all the quilting I will be able to get done!

Also, found a few more giveaways today:

Martinique Jelly Cake -- So much I could do with this!! *crosses fingers*

Cute Charm Squares-- 7 winners will be chosen!

Fat Quarters--- And also a chance to win a Candy Cane Lane quilt book!

Another Quilt Shoppe-related giveaway-- Fat Quarters!

Giveaway of 5 Patterns and a Botany Layer Cake-- I just bought a Botany Jelly Roll, and can't wait for it to arrive!

Beginner stuff...

2010-06-05T16:56:00.009-05:00

So I figured since this blog is supposed to be about my "quilting progress," I should post a few pictures of where I am at so that every few months I can look back and laugh at my progress...
This first one is from a kit I bought, and was my first foray into any type of quilting at all. You can see how the corners don't quite match up, and the edges just aren't quite right, haha. Ah well, little man doesn't seem to mind!

This was my first time I actually picked out and bought fabric, followed a pattern I found in a quilting book, and did the whole thing from start to finish. The fabric colors and patterns seemed good together BEFORE they were actually sewn together, but now that it's all done I am almost embarrassed to even show it. I haven't even bothered to do any actual QUILTING to it.

This one also isn't quilted, but it was my first try at binding. I am actually quite pleased with how this one turned out, especially the binding. Alot better than I expected to do, and the colors work much better together than the last one!

And last, but not least, this is my current WIP, and my first attempt at quilting (although that was done AFTER the picture was taken). Unfortunately, I sort of blundered through it and thought I could machine quilt without a walker foot (a purchase I am not allowed to make yet LOL!). Big mistake. I have done about half of the circles and it just looks horrible, so it is now folded up on the table. I am going to try to salvage it by taking out all the horrible machine stitches if possible, and just hand quilt it. I love the top too much to leave it messed up, or continue on messing it up worse.
Side note: The top was done by following this circle quilt tutorial and just changing the sizes of the circles and such that I wanted to do.

Anyway, try not to judge too harshly ;) I tend to sort of fly by the seat of my pants with many things that I do. Sometimes it works out and sometimes not so much. At least we can see a bit of progress already, right?

Searching...

2010-06-05T11:30:00.005-05:00

So I have been trying to find a decent beginners quilting group/guild in the San Antonio area. Everything I have found seems to be extremely out of date and inactive. Also, call me stingy, but I can't afford a high amount in dues until this baby comes and I can go back to work, since the hubby is limiting me on how much I can spend on anything related to quilting. I can't really blame him, we do have things we are saving for, but I sure can pout about it!

During my searching, however I have found a few giveaways of various kinds! Here are the ones I found that haven't ended yet:

An Accuquilt go! cutter giveaway *gasp*

A stack of Heather Ross fat quarters

Moda's Candy Bars (Sooooo cute!)

Beautiful hand-dyed wool, fabric, thread, and a handmade bag!!

Cutie Pinwheel Giveaway! (I love these :) )

18 months...

2010-05-31T13:01:00.003-05:00

It's been 18 months since my first, last, and only post. I apparently forgot I ever created this thing, since when I went to make one, it already existed. I have decided to revive this thing in conjunction with my recent renewed interest in quilting, as I have found many blogs that have great ideas, tips, and tutorials. Although I am still VERY MUCH SO a beginner, I am learning quickly and having alot of fun creating things :) Having trouble machine quilting, but that could be because I am stubborn and haven't purchased a walker foot yet.

And so it begins...

2008-11-20T09:20:00.004-06:00

I'm a 21 year old first time mommie to the most beautiful baby boy. My entire life has been turned upside down since the day that I found out I was pregnant. I had just gotten back from a yearlong deployment to Iraq when we conceived. My boyfriend and I met in Iraq, and although extremely interested in each other we wanted to remain friends until we got to the states and not start our relationship over there. Well, see how that worked out? I got pregnant the night I got back to the states, and he knew it way before I did. Since then it has been a humongous roller coaster of events, emotion, and drama. Every day I feel like I'm either at the end of my ropes or at the top of the world.
I'm not even really sure what I hope to accomplish with this blog, other than that nobody I personally know knows that it exists, at least not yet.